Shy Fox
by hinatasgreatestfan
Summary: My answer to the Shy Jinchuuriki Challenge.
1. First Day

Author Note: This fic is my response to a challenge, which is to portray Naruto as a shy Jinchuuriki. I'm not going to put the exact details, just know that's the main thing. Make Naruto shy. Also, keep in mind at the beginning of this story, Naruto and Hinata are just starting at the academy, so I'm imagining them as being 8 years old. Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 1

Today was Naruto's first day in the Ninja academy. He walked in very slowly, head hanging, looking at the ground, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. He knew everyone would see him, but he knew they wouldn't actually SEE him either. He opened the door to the room where he would be having class and shuddered. He wasn't afraid, not really, just nervous. He sighed, thinking that ahead of him was another day of rejection and people ignoring him. He finally looked up and scanned the room. He was looking for an empty seat that was at least somewhat isolated from the other students.

As fate would have it, there was only one seat that even slightly fit his criteria. And that seat just so happened to be right beside a very pretty girl with raven hair and lavender eyes. He saw her looking at him. She was actually looking AT him, not through him like everyone else always did. Slightly encouraged, Naruto sighed and walked over to her.

"G-G-Good m-morning, M-Miss. I-Is th-this s-seat t-taken?" he asked, stuttering more than usual. He hated meeting new people, it was always so hard!

The young girl blushed. "N-No, g-go a-ahead," she said back, stuttering some herself. She was just as surprised as he was. He was surprised that she had looked at him without that cold look and allowed him to sit there, she was surprised that this boy, who she thought was very good-looking, was not only asking to sit by her, but seemed to be as shy as she was herself.

Naruto sat down slowly, staring at the desk in front of him, his eyes misty with unshed tears. They weren't tears of sadness, just frustration. He was frustrated with himself for not being able to work up the nerve to talk to the very pretty girl next to him. The girl, whose name Naruto didn't even know, seemed as shy as he was himself, and she was looking at the desk in front of her, her eyes almost completely closed, a slight blush on her cheeks. As the two sat there beside one another, Naruto thought back to all the times before he'd tried to talk to people, tried to get their attention.

Needless to say, it had never worked. The very few times people would even look at him at all, they would have a look of either total coldness and hatred, or a look of anger, depending on what he had done. He didn't understand why everyone seemed to hate him. He had tried pulling pranks around the village for a short time, but that hadn't worked. Every once in a while someone would yell at him, but most of the time, they just looked at him, then at what he had done, then turned their backs on him, once again rejecting his very existence. Eventually, he gave up on that. When he tried talking to villagers, they just gave him very cold stares as if his words were wrong simply because he had been the one to say them. He tried everything he could think of, and the results were always the same. No one would acknowledge him. They'd just stare at him with those cold eyes then turn away as if he didn't exist. He tried to mask the pain with smiles for a while, but those cold eyes just wouldn't go away. Over time, he had become what he now was: very, very shy, someone who rarely left his home and, when he did, rarely spoke at all. He developed a stutter after a while as well. The stutter was a reflection of his nerves and his fear of continued rejection.

Naruto didn't know it, but the girl beside him, Hinata, was thinking of much the same things during the time he sat there beside her. She thought of all the times she had tried to talk to her cousin, Neji, who had gotten very cold since his father died. She thought of the times she had tried to gain her father's attention and had him look at her with very cold eyes, telling her she was a failure and a disgrace to the clan. She thought of the times lately when she had tried to talk to her younger sister, Hanabi, and been given the same cold stare she got from her father. Her father favored Hanabi, she knew, and Hanabi had grown conceited because of it. In spite of how cold her cousin and sister had grown toward her, Hinata loved them and couldn't bear to cause them pain, so, when they sparred, she always held back and allowed herself to be hurt time and time again. Of course, this made both of them more and more conceited, colder and colder, and made her father see her as even more of a failure every time. So it was that she was caught in a vicious cycle. The result of all of this was that she became very shy and quiet, speaking only when spoken to and eventually developing a stutter as the chill in the eyes of her clan grew deeper and colder.

As each of them thought about their rejections and the chill they each saw in others' eyes, they looked toward one another, then jumped in surprise at being caught looking at the other, blushed deeply, and both began a new train of thought, similar to one another, but different from what they had been thinking of before. Both were confused.

"_What's going on here?"_ both thought. _"Even the clansmen/villagers don't accept me, so why is he/she not looking at me like they do? Why does he/she not reject me? Is there something different about him/her? Or is he/she just trying to get me to lower my guard so he/she can hurt me even more?"_

Neither knew it, of course, but they were both thinking those questions about the other. Naruto decided to wait until roll was called to find out this girl's name and to talk to her when they had their lunch break. That decision made, he sat back in his chair and looked around the room. Since he was in the back row, no one was looking at him. He sighed and waited for class to start. Hinata, for her part, decided to wait for roll call also to find out the boy's name. She wanted to talk to him, or have him talk to her, but she knew she would never have the nerve to do it herself. Therefore, she hoped the boy would talk to her. She'd wait, she decided. She'd just find out his name from the roll and wait and see if he acted in any way. She sighed, sat back, and looked over the class, neither one noticing that they had both assumed the same posture.

The two shy kids had been sitting back and observing their classmates for about ten minutes when their teacher, Iruka Umino, entered the room and called the class to order. As Iruka called the roll, Naruto and Hinata each learned who the other was. Naruto felt a bit intimidated by Hinata, now that he knew she was part of such a prestigious clan. Hinata was even more curious about who Naruto was, seeing as she'd never heard the name Uzumaki before. Beyond that, the two pretty much ignored the roll, neither of them cared much for who else was in the class; both saw their other classmates as "one more person to reject me" and so neither paid much attention to their names. Hinata did pick up on there being an Uchiha in their class. She knew her clan hated the Uchiha clan, so she decided to avoid that student, Sasuke, especially. Naruto was more intrigued by the buzzing sound coming from one Shino Aburame than anything. He wondered what the sound was, but beyond those two things, neither Naruto nor Hinata reacted to any of their classmates in any way whatsoever.

As the class proceeded, Naruto noticed that Iruka seemed to be watching him from time to time, so he kept his attention on what was being said. He blushed any time the sensei looked at him, but he kept his attention focused on the lecture. Hinata felt herself included in the sensei's gaze and blushed as well, but neither of the two said anything. Both simply paid attention and sat quietly. Soon enough, it was time for their lunch break.

Hinata scurried away from Naruto when they were dismissed for lunch. She was afraid he wouldn't talk to her again and she'd feel the pain of being rejected yet again, so she ran. Naruto watched her as she hurried to a tree and sat down in its roots. He followed her, slowly, but determined. He had made up his mind that he was going to try to talk to this girl. She hadn't rejected him yet, and she didn't seem to change when she learned his name, so he'd try with her. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be different from the others. She had her face turned down as she ate her lunch, so she didn't see Naruto approaching her.

"Um, H-Hinata?" he said quietly, half-hoping she'd hear him, half-afraid she would. She jumped a little and looked up.

"Y-Yes, N-Naruto?" she answered, blushing.

"Would y-you mind if I s-sit w-with you?" he asked her, blushing deeply.

"Not at all, N-Naruto. Sit down," she answered, a kind smile on her face. Naruto couldn't help but return her smile, in spite of his red face. He sat down in front of her, looking everywhere but at her. He didn't want her to think he was eying her body, but he couldn't make eye-contact with her either, so he looked everywhere else, mostly at the ground. Hinata saw his gaze being directed downward and realized he was as nervous as she was about this. She couldn't help it. She giggled.

Naruto's eyes snapped up at her giggle. He blushed, thinking she was laughing at him. "D-Did I d-do something funny?" he asked, feeling embarrassed.

Hinata gave him a kind smile again, then shook her head. "N-No, Naruto, you didn't d-do anything funny. I was just thinking," she said, still smiling. It felt good to have someone paying attention to her like this.

Naruto smiled back at the girl. He was enjoying having someone pay attention to him too. "Oh, well, what were you laughing about then?" he asked her. For once, he didn't stutter. He was feeling comfortable with this girl, which surprised him, but he liked it.

Hinata gave the boy in front of her a small smile. "I could just tell you were nervous, that's all. The thing is, I'm really nervous, too. I'm n-not used to having someone acknowledge m-me. That's why I giggled. We're both nervous about this," she said, surprising herself that she was able to say that much almost without a stutter. She was feeling somewhat comfortable with this boy as well, and she really liked the feeling.

Naruto smiled. He was doing that a lot today. "I'm not used to being acknowledged either. It's really nice. And yeah, I am n-nervous. I have b-been ever s-since I sat d-down b-by you," he said, frustrated that his stutter was returning. "When you heard my name, I was sure you'd look at me like everyone else does, with coldness in your eyes, like you were rejecting me," he continued, blushing furiously now. He didn't know why he was telling her this, but it felt right somehow.

Hinata was surprised. He was afraid she would reject him? "I-I w-w-was afraid y-you would do that to m-me, Naruto," she said, surprising the blond. "Everyone in m-my f-family looks d-down on m-me. They all think I'm a failure, and they look at me so coldly. I was so afraid when you f-found out who I am, you'd reject me the same w-way th-they do." Like Naruto, Hinata didn't know why she was telling the boy this, but it felt right.

Naruto really was surprised by all this. Had he finally found someone who would accept him? He decided to take a chance and find out. "H-Hinata?" he said. Said girl looked up at him, a questioning look on her face. "W-W-Would you l-like t-to b-b-be m-my fr-fr-friend?" he asked, stuttering more than usual. He was terrified she'd say no and run away from him.

Hinata was shocked. No one had ever asked her to be their friend before. She guessed that Naruto didn't have many, if any, friends either. She blushed furiously, then nodded with gusto. "I'd l-like th-that v-v-very m-much, N-Naruto," she said, smiling. Naruto gasped at her response, then smiled at her, feeling much better than he had upon arriving at the academy that morning. He was still nervous, still shy, true, but now he wasn't completely alone; he had a friend. A friend who was as shy as he was, yes, but he had a friend. Hinata felt much the same. They both had a friend now. For anyone else, it might not have meant much, but for them it was the best thing that had ever happened to them.

It was only moments after this that their lunch break ended and they had to return to the classroom. Naruto walked beside Hinata feeling much better, but he was still afraid to even look at anyone else in the class. The two shy friends found themselves sitting together again, this time more or less on purpose. Naruto even managed a slight smile for Hinata, who returned it, blushing deeply. Like the morning classes, the two sat quietly, listening to their lessons. Naruto had never been the best at concentrating, so paying so much attention to any one thing for so long was causing him a serious headache. Hinata was much more used to concentrating, so she didn't have any trouble in that arena.

As their classes ended for the day, the two new friends walked out of the academy together. Naruto hid himself in some bushes nearby. Hinata saw him and walked over to where he was hiding. "W-What's wrong, N-Naruto?" she asked him.

Naruto was surprised she had followed. He blushed. "N-Nothing, H-Hinata. W-Why do y-you ask?" he answered.

"Well, you're h-hiding over h-here," she answered. "I just thought s-something m-must be wrong for you to b-be hiding from everyone."

Naruto realized he'd been caught. "I just d-didn't want to s-see p-people l-looking at m-me like they always do," he said back.

Hinata thought a moment, then made a decision. She held a hand out to him. "C-Come s-stand with me. I c-can't say they w-won't look at you like that, but if th-they d-do, we'll face th-them t-together," she said, smiling kindly. She didn't know why, but she wanted to have him beside her. After all, they had both spent their lives getting those cold stares. She doubted the stares would go away, but having someone with her would make it easier to deal with, she figured.

Naruto was flat-out stunned by this. "A-Are you s-sure, H-Hinata?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Come on, st-stand with me," she told him. "I w-want you by me."

Naruto thought about this and stood up, not taking her hand. He came out of the bushes, blushing deeply, and stood beside Hinata. He saw her looking at him and blushed deeper. Having her look at him like that was nice, even if it did make him nervous. She smiled at him, kindness shining in her eyes. He smiled back, his eyes glinting a little as well. A few minutes later, a member of Hinata's family showed up to get her, and the new friends parted with a final smile. After everyone else was gone, Naruto went home. He ate a light dinner and went to bed, thinking of his first friend the whole time. As he fell asleep, he had a slight smile on his face, thinking that maybe, just maybe, the future wouldn't be so bad.


	2. New Friends

Chapter 2

When Naruto awoke the next morning, he was actually smiling. He wondered about that a moment, then realized he was just looking forward to seeing his friend, Hinata. He got up, showered, dressed, and got himself ready to go to the Academy. He was still smiling a little as he walked out his door. For once, Naruto didn't notice the looks of hatred and rejection from all the people around him that morning. He knew they were there, but for once, he didn't care. He had a friend now. He was chuckling when he arrived at the Academy, still thinking of seeing Hinata again.

As for Hinata, she awoke that morning as usual and got her shower and dressed. Putting on her normal bulky jacket, she walked out to the dining room to get breakfast. She smiled when a servant handed her a plate with two small cinnamon rolls on it. She bowed politely and carried her breakfast to the table. While she was eating, she was thinking about going to the Academy and seeing her new friend, Naruto. She ate slowly, savoring the sweet rolls, but soon enough she was finished. She washed her hands in the sink and made her way out the door. She arrived at the Academy and heard a small chuckle. She looked up and there, about ten feet in front of her, was Naruto. Hinata gasped.

Naruto heard a small sound behind him and turned around. He was a little afraid it would be someone coming after him, but all he saw was Hinata. He smiled hesitantly.

"Oh, g-good m-morning, Hinata," he said quietly.

"G-good m-morning, N-Naruto," she said back. She smiled softly, trying to comfort Naruto and ease his worries. It seemed to work as his smile relaxed a little and seemed more natural.

"I'm g-glad y-you're h-here, H-Hinata," he stammered, blushing slightly. "I w-was l-looking forward t-to s-seeing y-you again."

Hinata blushed at the praise. "I w-was l-looking forward to seeing you again, t-too, N-Naruto."

Naruto was surprised. This was the first time he'd ever had anyone say that to him. He found himself believing Hinata for whatever reason. He didn't know why, but somehow he just knew she was being honest. Something in her lavender eyes told him she meant what she was saying. He smiled, blushing deeply. Then his playful side took him over a little. He bowed to Hinata. "May I have the honor of escorting you to class, my lady?"

It was Hinata's turn to be surprised. She was used to being addressed like that, but by people who resented it. Naruto, on the other hand, did it in fun and sincerely. As he stood and held out an arm to her, she smiled and linked her arm with his arm, nodding. "You may, good sir," she said, smiling, surprised a little that she hadn't stammered.

So it was that the young friends entered their classroom with their arms linked. They were the first to arrive in the room, so they were able to proceed to their seats in the back row without anyone bothering them. They sat next to one another and separated their arms, both smiling. Once the contact broke between them, both felt the lack almost immediately. Both wished to feel the contact again, but neither was brave enough to initiate it, so both just sat there feeling shy.

After a few minutes, the rest of their classmates and Iruka arrived and class started. Like the day before, Naruto found himself developing a headache from concentrating so long, while Hinata was able to deal with it easily. Neither said anything, and Iruka seemed content to leave them both alone throughout class, seeing as neither one was causing him any trouble.

When time came for lunch, Naruto and Hinata wandered around the Academy grounds, looking for somewhere to be alone, where the other students wouldn't bother them. What they didn't know was that they were being watched very carefully by one of their fellow students in particular.

One Ino Yamanaka was watching the shy friends as they walked toward a small copse of trees just outside the Academy grounds. She had noticed how shy the two were, and she had noticed that the two seemed to have become friends the first day. She smiled to herself, thinking that these two might make good friends for herself as well. She was always confident in herself and knew that she had a similar effect on those around her, but she had never really tried to bring a shy person out of his/her shell before. Here, she saw a challenge for herself in these two. And if there was anything Ino Yamanaka loved, it was a challenge. She grinned and started toward where the two had disappeared into the trees.

As Naruto and Hinata entered the trees, the noises of the other students talking and training faded into quiet. They found a small clearing in the center of the copse of trees and sat down against a tree at the edge of it, enjoying the quiet and the peace they found here. They had only been there a moment when they heard a voice.

"Oh! I didn't know anyone else was out here!" Ino said, startling both. She saw them jump and move somewhat closer to one another as if in defense. She smiled kindly as she came out of the trees to where they could see her. "Hi."

"H-Hello," Naruto stammered out, looking down.

"H-Hi," Hinata said quietly. "You're Ino, right?"

"Yep, that's me, Ino Yamanaka," she said back, smiling. "You're Naruto and Hinata, right?" The shy youngsters nodded. Ino approached them slowly, then crouched down in front of them. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Naruto and Hinata looked at one another, surprised at this. Naruto shrugged. Hinata looked Ino up and down, her Byakugan active. When she saw no ill intent in Ino, she nodded. "You're w-welcome to j-join us, Ino," she said. She smiled shyly.

Ino smiled, glad to be given a chance at least. She sat down in front of them and all three pulled out their lunches and ate in silence. After a few moments, Ino smiled at the other two. "Hey, why don't you two tell me about yourselves?"

"W-What do y-you w-want to know?" Naruto asked back, blushing as Ino's attention focused on him.

"Well, all I know is your names," Ino started. "If we're going to be friends, I'll need to know what you like, what you don't, what happened that made you two so dang shy, all that. Besides, I'm curious about you, both of you, so I want to get to know who you are. All I know beyond what you've told me just now is that you're both shy and that you've become friends, and I know that from watching you. So, tell me about yourselves." Saying this, the blond girl sat back on her haunches, getting comfortable to listen to the two in front of her.

"Well, I'm N-Naruto Uzumaki," the blond boy spoke first. "I guess y-you w-want to know what I l-like. I like ramen and my friend, Hinata. I don't know much else that I l-like. I don't really h-hate anything. I've always been alone, and until Hinata here no one really accepted me. I g-guess that's why I'm shy. I think I'm going to like studying here, almost everyone seems nice." He stopped at that and looked at the ground, blushing a little.

"I'm Hinata H-Hyuga," Hinata said, speaking softly as always. "I like my friends here, Naruto and I h-hope you as well, Ino. My hobby is pressing flowers, so I guess I l-like flowers, t-too. I try n-not to h-hate anything either. My family always rejects me for my k-kindness, so I g-guess that's why I g-got to be so shy." She looked up at Ino. "I hope you won't end up rejecting me or Naruto in the end." She said this last with a look of hope but also a look of warning in her eyes.

Naruto looked surprised at Hinata's last statement, hearing the warning in it. Ino was taken aback a little, but she smiled. "I won't reject you. Actually, I can probably help you with your flower-pressing, Hinata. My family owns a flower shop, after all. And Naruto, you said you like ramen?" The blond nodded. "All right, how about the three of us go out for ramen after class today? I know a good place I'm sure you'd both like."

The two shy kids looked at one another, considered this a moment, then nodded. They'd give Ino a chance at least. "W-We better g-get back now," Naruto said. "It's almost t-time for class to start again." Ino and Hinata nodded, and all three made their way back to the Academy.

They made it back to their classroom just in time for Iruka to call class back to order. The three sat together this time, Ino on one side of Naruto, Hinata on the other, much to the annoyance of the original pair, since Ino seemed to make a point of speaking out during Iruka's lecture. This brought Iruka's attention to the two shy students, who found themselves constantly blushing during the rest of their time in class that day.

After class let out, Ino and Hinata waited by the Academy gates to meet the member of their family who was there to get them. Ino explained to her father that she wanted to take her friends out that afternoon and introduce them to someone. Inoichi, Ino's father, understood and gave his permission. Hinata told the Branch member who showed up for her that she was going out with a couple friends. He nodded and told her he'd let her father know, then bowed and took his leave. Then both girls went to Naruto, who was standing shyly by the main Academy gate, waiting to see what the two girls would do.

Ino approached Naruto first, smiling kindly. "Hey, Naruto, you OK?" she asked him.

"Y-yeah, I'm f-fine, Ino," he said. He tried to smile at her, but couldn't quite do it. He wasn't totally sure of her just yet. Then Hinata came up to them and smiled at Naruto, who returned it.

"I'm r-ready to g-go now," Hinata said to Ino. She linked her arm with Naruto's to show she was with him. Ino grinned at that and linked her arm with Naruto's other arm and began to lead them through the streets of Konoha.

After a few minutes, the trio arrived at a small ramen stand called Ichiraku's. Naruto had seen this place before, but never had the nerve to actually enter it. Naruto stopped and both girls got jerked back as they tried to step toward the stand. They looked back at him, confused.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Ino asked him.

"I w-won't b-be w-w-welcome h-here," Naruto said, believing it was true, but not having any idea why, beyond the fact that no other place had ever allowed him in.

"What do you mean, Naruto? I know the guy who owns this place, his name is Teuchi, and I've never known him to refuse anyone who was willing to pay for their food. You are willing to pay, right?" Ino asked, smiling kindly at the shy boy.

"W-Well, of course I'm willing t-to p-pay, Ino, but I j-just know h-h-he won't w-want m-me here," he said, his eyes locked on the ground.

Ino reached down and lifted Naruto's face by his chin and looked into his eyes, locking his blues with her own. Naruto found himself believing in Ino for some reason. "Trust me, Naruto, he won't turn you out. He's a good man," she said, her blue eyes sparkling like she'd just told a great joke or something. "Trust me."

Naruto couldn't help it. He just nodded. He had no idea why, but for some reason, he believed in Ino. Her eyes showed such confidence, such strength, that he couldn't doubt her in even the slightest way. This time, when Ino stepped forward, Naruto followed her, bringing Hinata with him.

In spite of Ino's confidence, Naruto felt that he was getting strength himself from Hinata's presence beside him. He squeezed her arm a little with his own, eliciting a small squeak from the shy girl, who found herself blushing furiously. Naruto chuckled at her reaction.

The trio entered the ramen stand, their steps totally in tandem with one another. Behind the counter, an older man turned and saw Ino entering. He knew her; she had been there a time or two before, but today, she had two other youngsters with her, both looking to be her age, one blond and blue-eyed like Ino herself, the other raven-haired with lavender eyes. The blond was a boy, the other a girl, and both the raven-haired beauty and Ino herself were holding onto the boy's arms. The boy looked so similar to Ino, Teuchi thought for a moment they might be brother and sister, except he knew Ino was an only child. He turned and grinned at the three. "Hey, Ino, who are your friends?" he said, smiling.

Ino grinned back. "Hey, Teuchi, these are my classmates, Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga," she answered, indicating each one as she said their names. As she spoke, the three disentangled their arms and sat on stools in front of the counter, Naruto looking intently at the ground and Hinata smiling shyly at Teuchi.

Teuchi, still smiling, said kindly, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Naruto, Hinata. Now, what can I get for you three?" He was surprised when Naruto's head shot up and looked at him like he'd just had an electrical charge go through him.

The boy was clearly totally stunned at his reaction, though he didn't know why. Then Teuchi realized who Naruto was. He knew about the Kyuubi's true fate, of course, as did all the adults of the village, but he'd never met the young man before. Yet here he was, sitting beside Ino, with another young girl with him. Teuchi smiled at the boy, showing that he was all right in his book.

Naruto couldn't believe this man had allowed him to stay there, much less was offering to serve him food, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, so he stammered out, "I'll h-h-have a m-miso r-ramen, p-p-please."

Hinata, who had never had ramen before, decided to trust Naruto's judgment on this. "I'll h-have the s-same, please, s-sir," she said. Naruto looked at her in surprise. She blushed at his attention, then stammered, "I've n-n-never h-had r-r-ramen b-before, so I f-figured I'd t-trust your j-judgment on what t-to try."

Naruto smiled a little, flattered that she trusted him and satisfied with her answer, then sat back to wait. He was enjoying himself quite a bit, really. He was with two people he considered friends and who accepted him, and now he was going to be served a meal for the first time he could remember.

He checked the prices on the menu of the place and was surprised at how cheap they were. He could eat here every day for years with just what he had saved up so far. He never got much money, but he didn't need much either, so he had a lot saved. This place could easily be his daily eating place without him making any kind of significant dent in his savings. He just hoped that this place wasn't like the place where he bought his clothes. That place was the only one that would even allow him to buy anything, and he knew they charged him way more than anyone else. Plus, they only allowed him to buy the orange jumpsuits he always wore. In point of fact, that's why he wore them.

Naruto only half-heard as Ino placed her order. The three sat quietly while they waited, Naruto smiling a little, Hinata happy to be with Naruto, who she was beginning to like quite a bit, and Ino glad the two were comfortable with her. Ino smiled and leaned over to Naruto.

"I told you he'd let you in here," she said.

Naruto nodded. He couldn't deny that; she had said he'd be welcome here. He turned his small smile on her; it wasn't large, but he felt it deeply; even Teuchi, who didn't know the boy, could see that. "Thank you, Ino. This means a lot to me," he said, then extended his hand. Ino took it, looking a little confused. "Friends."

Ino smiled, understanding that Naruto was telling her he accepted her as his friend now. Ino looked over at Hinata, who simply nodded. She accepted Ino, too.

Suddenly, Ino had a thought. "Hey, Teuchi, where's Ayame? I was hoping to introduce her to these two as well."

"Oh, she's here. Hey, Ayame!" Teuchi called out.

A flap opened at the back of the stand and a tall, thin brunette came in. "Yes, Father?" she said.

"Hey, Ayame, I wanted to introduce you to someone," Ino spoke up. She indicated her two friends and continued, "These are my friends, Naruto and Hinata."

Ayame smiled at both of them. "I'm Ayame," she said, bowing slightly. Naruto and Hinata both nodded to her, smiling and blushing slightly. Ino gestured for Ayame to come over.

"They're really shy," Ino whispered to Ayame. "I thought they needed a place where they could be themselves and be comfortable, you know? I'm trying to bring them out of their shells, and I couldn't think of any better people to help me out with that than you two."

Ayame winked at Ino. "I gotcha," she said. Then she turned to the other two. "You two will always be welcome here."

That simple sentence stunned both Naruto and Hinata. Neither had ever been told that before. Naruto had never been welcome anywhere, and Hinata had been welcome some places, but not quite so openly as that. The two bowed their heads as deeply as they could, considering they were sitting on stools, in thanks. Ayame giggled and went back behind the flap at the back of the stand. Teuchi turned around and set three bowls of ramen in front of the trio, then went back to what he was doing when they entered.

The three began to eat, all of them savoring the flavors in the simple soups. Naruto was pleased to find this was much better than what he ate at home, Hinata was surprised at how good the simple food was, and Ino was pleased with herself for having the idea of bringing her shy friends here. After the three ate, they all set down money for their own bowl, then stood and, with a short goodbye, departed.

Once outside, Ino turned to the other two. "I gotta get home now, you two," she said, grinning mischievously. "Naruto, why don't you walk Hinata home?"

Naruto blushed, then nodded, "All r-right," he said. Hinata nodded as well, then the three said their goodbyes and Ino headed off on her own, the other two walking together toward the Hyuga estate.

"That was n-nice of Ino t-to invite us out," Hinata said after a moment.

"Y-Yeah, it was. That's the first time I ever ate out l-like th-that," Naruto replied.

Hinata was stunned. She didn't eat out often, true, but that was because her family had very good cooks. She knew Naruto lived alone, so the thought that he had never eaten out like that was shocking to her. She didn't know what to say to that, so the rest of their trip passed in silence. Far too soon for either of their tastes, they found themselves in front of Hinata's home.

Naruto said goodbye, then headed home himself. Hinata went in to her home and straight to her room, where she washed up and got ready for bed, laying down and thinking for hours before finally falling asleep. She decided that night to be the best friend she could be to Naruto; he obviously needed it, and she could tell he deserved it even having only known him a few days.

Naruto arrived home and almost immediately went through his evening ritual, showering and getting ready for bed. Once he was laying down, his mind went into hyperactive mode, going over every detail of what had happened that day. He was still somewhat in shock when he finally fell asleep. He dreamed that night of being a rabbit surrounded by foxes, which he hoped wasn't a bad omen of things to come.


	3. Attack and Defense

Chapter 3

After making friends with Naruto and Hinata, Ino had spent the next three weeks or so trying to get them out of their shells, with minimal success. The two were completely comfortable with one another now, and neither stuttered with her anymore either, but neither of them had made any effort to speak to anyone else. Ino groaned, thinking of the times she had tried to get them to talk to some of their other classmates. Both had simply told her to take her idea and shove it, in no uncertain terms. Ino laughed at that memory in particular. With her, shy, the two were not, obviously.

Today, the class had gotten a bit of a surprise. They were going on a sight-seeing trip of sorts today for their history class. Their destination was the Valley of the End, as it was called. They knew of the Valley, naturally; it was the location where Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had fought for the title of First Hokage. Obviously, the Uchiha had lost that battle, but Iruka-sensei had decided today would be a prime opportunity for the class to see the location of that battle. Why this was, no one in the class knew, or really cared. All they cared about was the fact that they were getting out of the classroom for the day.

So it was that the class found themselves at the Valley of the End this noontime. Naruto, Hinata, and Ino were sitting on the top of the head of the statue of Hashirama, eating their lunches. No one was bothering them, and, naturally, they kept to themselves. Hinata, being the kind girl she was, had brought lunch for not only herself but her friends as well.

"Wow, Hinata, this is really good!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling at the girl. Hinata blushed slightly.

"Thanks, Naruto," she answered. "I've always liked cooking, and this was just a chance to do something nice for you."

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto said, blushing as well. He was used to Hinata doing kind things like that, but it still embarrassed him at times. Hinata just nodded. Ino, watching the two, grinned. Once they got a little older, they'd make one heck of a couple, Ino just knew it.

"My pleasure, Naruto," Hinata answered, smiling. Naruto smiled back and would have said something more, but just then a small group of students approached them. Leading the group was a boy who was a little taller than Naruto, his black hair cut into the shape of a bird's ass, his mouth twisted in a smirk, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Well, well, what have we here?" the boy, who Ino recognized after a moment as Sasuke Uchiha, asked sarcastically.

"W-what d-do y-y-you w-want?" Naruto asked, trying to sound intimidating. The effect was ruined by his stutter, naturally. Ino sighed. That damn stutter of his was always coming up at the worst times.

"Oh, there's only one thing I want," Sasuke said back, his eyes turning to Hinata as he spoke. Hinata cowered away from him, blushing slightly at the appraisal. Sasuke came up to her and grabbed her by her beige jacket and yanked her to her feet. He grinned over at Naruto, his eyes glinting with malice. "This is mine, loser. Hope you don't mind," he said and prepared to walk away with Hinata.

"PUT HER DOWN!" Naruto yelled, enraged. He charged at Sasuke, his fist cocked back, ready to knock the Uchiha for a loop. He wasn't expecting Sasuke to be prepared for that, though. Sasuke shoved Hinata backward. The girl fell onto her backside, grunting. Meanwhile, Naruto, moving too fast to stop, was tripped by Sasuke's foot, which the black-haired boy had stuck out in front of Naruto. The effect of this was Naruto was sent over the edge of the statue they were standing on. Luckily for Naruto, the side he fell from had a rather short drop, so all that really happened was Naruto landed face-first in the water a little back from the waterfall in the Valley. He wasn't hurt, just embarrassed.

Back on the statue, however, Hinata didn't know Naruto was okay, she just knew her best friend had been knocked off the statue and could easily be hurt or worse. She also knew that the one to blame for it was standing just in front of her. For the first time in her life, Hinata flew into a rage and leapt at Sasuke. "FOR NARUTO!" she yelled. Her yell was so loud, as it turned out, Naruto heard her. He would always remember that, but, naturally, Hinata didn't know she'd been heard. Nor did she care, really. She came at her enemy, as she saw Sasuke at that moment, and, using two simultaneous strikes, she broke both of Sasuke's shoulders. She then gave a glare to the black-haired boy and snarled, "Get away from us."

Sasuke scowled at the lavender-eyed girl, then scoffed and turned to leave, both arms limp. Hinata turned and looked over the edge of the statue. She was surprised, but relieved, to find Naruto climbing back up the side. When he made it to the top, she threw herself at him and hugged him hard. Naruto, surprised and a little confused, returned her hug after a moment.

"Hinata?" he asked. She looked up at him, tears of relief in her eyes. "You attacked Sasuke for me?"

Hinata blushed, realizing her cry had been heard. "Yes, I was just so angry when I thought you were hurt...or worse...I couldn't help it," she said.

Naruto smiled, then hugged Hinata again. He was deeply touched. "Thank you, Hinata. No one's ever stood up for me like that before," he said. Hinata blushed then buried her face in his chest, hugging him tightly. Naruto just hugged the blushing girl back, neither caring who saw them. This simple act would mark a turning point in the relationship between the two. Ino, seeing what happened and knowing what it meant, just smiled. Yep, one heck of a couple indeed.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Hinata's ferocity in protecting Naruto became well-known and respected among their classmates. Hinata was only about the middle of the class, yet no one would dare mess with Naruto, who was just slightly below Hinata, for fear of facing her wrath. Sasuke was the only one who even wanted to, and he was biding his time.

As for Ino, she was pretty sure her work was done with her shy friends. Now she was looking for a love interest of her own, since Naruto and Hinata were clearly going to be together. Pretty much everyone in the class saw that as a foregone conclusion since the incident in the Valley of the End, including the two people in question. In retrospect, Hinata realized that her rage was fueled by love for Naruto, which she hadn't even consciously known she had before that.

Naruto was having the time of his life of late. Hinata was right beside him every second she could be, Ino was there, though not as often, and no one was bothering him. He knew the last was because of the first and the first was to make sure of the last, at least in part, but he didn't care; he was enjoying every second of both, regardless of the cause.

One day, about a month after the Valley Incident, as it had been dubbed by the class, Naruto was walking home alone, Hinata having been called home early that day for a clan meeting or something. He was about half-way home when a small white dog came running to him and leapt into his arms. Surprised, Naruto caught the puppy. After a moment, he recognized the puppy as belonging to his classmate, Kiba. What was his name again? Oh, yeah, Akamaru!

"What is it, Akamaru?" Naruto asked, his worry for why the puppy was here without Kiba making him forget his stutter. Akamaru barked once, then started squirming. Naruto set the small creature on the ground. Akamaru took off running, stopping after about half a block to see if Naruto was coming.

Overcome with both concern for his classmate and worry for the puppy if it wandered the streets alone, Naruto followed. Akamaru led the blond on a merry chase all over the village until Naruto wondered if the puppy was trying to play a prank on him. This went on for about an hour, then the puppy took off in a straight line that led straight past the main gate of the village and into an area of the village that was mostly abandoned. There were a few homes there, but that was all.

Naruto kept following, getting more and more worried and more and more suspicious with each step. When the puppy stopped in front of the door to a certain building, Naruto fully expected he was walking into a trap. He opened the door slowly, careful to keep quiet, just in case. He had gone in about five steps when he saw a sight that would haunt him the rest of his days. He also understood in an instant why Akamaru had led him on that merry chase: he had been following a scent. To be more precise, the puppy had been following the scent of his master, Kiba.

What Naruto saw horrified him. Kiba was in a chair, both arms bound to the arms of the chair, blindfolded, a rope around his neck and another around his forehead. Naruto couldn't see Kiba's legs from where he stood, but he suspected his legs were tied to the chair as well. Naruto was standing on a balcony about two floors up from where Kiba sat. As he watched, a hooded, cloaked figure stepped in front of the bound boy.

Naruto couldn't tell who it was or hear any words from the figure, but Kiba obviously could. "I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Kiba yelled out, followed by a scream of pain as the figure stabbed a kunai into the calf of one of his legs. The figure seemed pleased with that reaction. Apparently it asked Kiba something else as the boy responded, "I told you, I don't know!"

Kiba's second scream of pain, elicited by a matching kunai in his other leg, made something in Naruto snap. The blond didn't know Kiba all that well, but the boy had never caused him any trouble. Seeing him being hurt and tortured like this was more than Naruto could take. He saw red. What he didn't know was that his eyes turned a blood red and became slitted, like the eyes of a fox. With a roar, he launched himself off the balcony he was standing on and at the figure. The figure turned and revealed a pair of round glasses and silver hair.

Noticing that this person was taller than he was, Naruto attacked low, hoping to catch the person off-guard. Considering that Naruto was coming from above, this apparently worked, as he got through his opponent's guard. Naruto's hand, which by this time was enshrouded in red chakra, buried itself into the figure's leg, causing a wound that matched the one in Kiba's leg almost perfectly. Naruto had never moved so fast in his life. As the figure screamed in pain, Naruto attacked with the other hand, matching Kiba's second wound as well.

The figure, evidently surprised that the wounds weren't healing, tried to limp away from Naruto. Naruto, however, was having none of it. He leapt, roaring, and attacked the figure at chest level. By this time, Naruto didn't even know what he was doing. His attack went into the chest and out the back of the enemy. Naruto grinned at the scream of pain, then pulled back and took a final swipe at the figure's legs. This time, the legs were simply hacked off, the wound cauterized by the red chakra at the same time. As Naruto glared down at the figure, he realized this person might have information on why he was doing this, so he forced himself to calm down. The red chakra surrounding the blond faded, and his eyes returned to their normal blue.

Naruto reached over, pulled the two kunai out of Kiba's legs, and used one to cut his bonds. He had been right; Kiba's legs were bound as well. Kiba removed his blindfold. He looked around and was shocked to find Naruto standing there, panting.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" he asked. He didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but Naruto was the last person he'd expected to see.

Naruto looked up at Kiba and smiled. "Akamaru found me and led me here," he said. He took a deep breath and released it. "When I saw what this guy was doing to you, I couldn't help it. I just had to do something." He looked down at the disabled figure on the floor. "Who is this guy?"

Kiba snarled. "His name is Kabuto Yakushi. I don't know what the hell he wanted from me, but he kept asking about you, Naruto," the boy said. Naruto looked at Kiba in confusion. "I'm not sure, he just kept asking where you were and what you were doing, stuff like that. I don't care what he wanted. Naruto, you saved me, so whatever he wanted doesn't matter to me, you're my friend now. You deserve that at the very least."

Naruto held out a hand, grinning. Kiba shook it, returning the blond's grin. "I wish it was under slightly better circumstances," Naruto said. "But I'm glad to have a new friend." He turned to the figure, now named Kabuto. "Well, let's see about getting this guy to the Hokage, he'll know what to do with him."

Kiba nodded. "Akamaru," he said. The puppy barked once to show he was listening. "Man Beast Clone." The puppy disappeared in a cloud of smoke and standing in his place was a perfect clone of Kiba. The two went to the figure on the ground and lifted it between them. "Lead the way, Naruto," Kiba said.

Naruto nodded and led them out of the building the way he had come in. The odd procession soon arrived at the Hokage's office. Naruto grinned. "I've got a bit of a standing invitation with the Old Man," he said. He opened the door. "Hey, Old Man, we need your help."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, looked up at Naruto's statement. He started to smile at the blond, but then he noticed Kiba, his clone, and the legless figure. "What is going on here?" the aged Hokage asked.

It was Kiba who responded. "I was on my way home from class when this guy attacked me," he said. "I ran from him as long as I could, but he eventually caught me. He took me to an abandoned building over near the main gate. I sent Akamaru to get help before I ran. He found Naruto here and brought him to me. Naruto..." he trailed off, then gestured at the figure. "Well, did this," he finished. "He saved me, and I owe him my life."

Hiruzen smiled at the blond. "Well done, Naruto. For now, don't tell anyone about this. I'll see to it he gets to Ibiki. We'll see what he has to say for himself," he said. Hiruzen was aware of Naruto's having used the red chakra; he'd felt it spike. Now that he knew why, he wasn't too worried about it just yet.

Naruto and Kiba bowed to the Hokage and took off, Akamaru, now back in his real form, trailing behind them. Naruto turned to Kiba. "Um, K-Kiba?" he said. Kiba turned to him and raised one eyebrow. "A-Are y-you okay?"

Kiba grinned. "Thanks to you, Naruto, I'm fine. Look, you don't have to be nervous with me, I meant what I said before. We're friends now," he answered. Naruto nodded. "Well, I better get home. Thanks a lot, Naruto. You really saved my butt today. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, see ya," Naruto answered. Kiba took off for home, while Naruto walked the rest of his way home himself.

Naruto was about half a block from home when he ran into someone; he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. He was too busy trying to figure out where he'd gotten that power he'd used when he attacked Kabuto. The person he ran into fell down.

Naruto got up and looked to see what he'd hit. It was Hinata. He got up and helped her to her feet. "I'm so sorry, Hinata," he said.

"It's okay, Naruto," she answered, smiling at the boy she now knew without a doubt she loved. "What's wrong? You look like something's bothering you."

"Come on up to my place, I'll tell you everything," Naruto told her. Hinata blushed slightly at the idea of being in Naruto's apartment, but she followed him nonetheless.

It took about ten minutes to tell Hinata what had happened, but she didn't seem to mind listening. The two sat a few minutes after Naruto's tale was finished, both trying to figure out what this all meant. Neither could come up with anything. Hinata smiled at Naruto.

"It doesn't matter to me, Naruto. You're still you, and that's all I need," she said. Naruto smiled at her and hugged her. Hinata blushed but hugged him right back.

After a few minutes of this, the two separated and just sat there in companionable silence. Naruto was thinking of everything that had happened between him and Hinata. He smiled; he had thought for a while now he'd end up with her, but why should he wait? He knew now, especially after what she'd just said, that he loved her. Granted they were a bit young, but really, what difference did that make?

"Um, H-Hinata?" Naruto said. Hinata looked up at him, surprised he was stuttering with her. He must be nervous about something. That made Hinata a little nervous as well, but she was hopeful as well.

"Yes, Naruto, what is it?" she asked.

Naruto blushed a little. "I was just thinking," he said. "About everything that's happened between us. How we met, how we became friends, how we met Ino, how you defended me at the Valley, everything." Hinata nodded for him to go on. "Hinata, I'm not exactly experienced in this, but I think...well, I think I love you."

Hinata gasped. She hadn't been expecting that. But if he was going to tell her that, why should she leave him wondering? "Well, Naruto, I don't think. I know I love you, too," she said. Naruto looked up at her in surprise. "I realized it after the Valley. I was so mad at Sasuke for hurting you, it made me realize that I loved you."

Naruto blushed deeply. "H-Hinata, w-would y-you b-be m-my g-girlfriend?" he asked her, his nervousness making him stutter more than usual.

Hinata blushed as well. "I would be honored to be your girlfriend, Naruto," she answered. Naruto grinned and hugged her again, eliciting a small squeak of surprise from the girl. The two sat there together a while longer, just enjoying being together, then Hinata had to go home. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto," she said as she left. Naruto nodded and the two shared a final smile as she left.

Naruto went to bed with a smile on his face and joy in his heart that night. He now had an official girlfriend and another friend. He was finally being accepted by people, and he'd never been happier. He dreamed that night. He dreamed of being a fox on the hunt. In this dream, he never found anything, but the hunt itself was exhilarating. Naruto worried what this dream meant for months after it.

The next day, Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Kiba all sat close together. Naruto and Hinata beside one another, Kiba across the aisle from them, and Ino on Kiba's other side. Ino would have been with Naruto and Hinata, but Naruto had told her before class about what had happened with Kiba, so she sat with him, hoping to make friends as well. Naruto and Hinata held hands throughout class that day, which no one noticed.

At lunch that day, Naruto and Hinata were practicing their taijutsu a bit. Kiba saw them and came over to help them. Ino watched the three practice together. She didn't feel even slightly jealous; she and Kiba had hit it off and were friends now as well. She was glad her friends had another friend they could talk to, so she simply watched them practice. She couldn't help but notice that the three seemed to function like a well-oiled machine. She smiled; those three would be a heck of a team.

After class that day, Naruto was summoned to the Hokage's office. Hiruzen grinned at the blond. "You were instrumental in the capture of a spy, Naruto," he said. Naruto looked stunned. "Yes, that's right, Kabuto was a spy, for Orochimaru, if you can believe it. Anyway, I had you called in here because I want to reward you for your aid." The aged Hokage tossed Naruto a small scroll. "In that is the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I've noticed you have trouble with the normal clone jutsu, and I think the reason is you overload it, but I suspect you'll have no trouble learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Tell no one you have that until your Genin test, am I clear?" Naruto nodded. "Good, now get out of here."

Naruto went home and tried the jutsu that very night. By the next day, he had it mastered.

Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Kiba fell into a routine after that day. Naruto and Hinata would sit together in class, Kiba and Ino across the aisle from the two, then Kiba would join Naruto and Hinata during lunch to practice. In the evenings, Naruto would hang out with Hinata. He enjoyed having her as a girlfriend, and did everything he could to make her happy. Kiba and Ino would go with them sometimes, and Ino felt herself being attracted to Kiba; he was loyal, he liked Naruto, and he wasn't half bad to look at, either. It wasn't long before they, too, had become a couple. With all the time they spent with Naruto and Hinata, it was just natural.

This routine continued for the better part of three years. Soon, it was their last year in the Academy. Naruto was looking forward to graduating, partly so he could stop hiding the Shadow Clone Jutsu from Hinata in particular, partly because he was just tired of classes in general.

Naruto had finally bonded with Iruka-sensei, Teuchi and Ayame, and a couple of his other classmates, namely Shikamaru and Choji. He was still closer to Hinata and Ino than the others, but he got along very well with Kiba, and Ino had gotten to be good friends with the lazy genius and his portly friend as well. The six of them often trained together, Ino joining Shikamaru and Choji. The two teams (as they now considered themselves) worked very well together and were good friends as well.

Occasionally, they would group off for team spars, which almost always ended in stalemates. Naruto was so unpredictable, even Shikamaru couldn't keep up with him. Ino could dodge Hinata's attacks, but she couldn't do much to the lavender-eyed girl, so the two were almost always at a deadlock. As for Kiba and Choji, they would simply run one another into the ground to the point both (or all three if Akamaru is included) would end up laying on their backs, panting heavily.

Training like this for months on end had all six much stronger than before, and the two teams worked so well together they would often finish one another's moves without a word being spoken. For instance, Naruto would feint left and Kiba would attack from the right at the same time.

Soon, it was time for their final exams. Hinata was worried that Naruto might not be able to do the clone jutsu, but everyone else was confident in themselves. Naturally, the final test was the clone jutsu, which was Naruto's worst jutsu, or so everyone thought, anyway. He had been told to use the Shadow Clones for this test, so he wasn't worried. He'd had that jutsu mastered for three years now after all.

Soon enough, Naruto was up. Hinata smiled at him. "Good luck, Naruto," she said.

Naruto returned the smile. "Thanks, Hinata," he said and squeezed her hand. He left and went to the test room. Naruto grinned at Iruka-sensei. "Ready?" he asked. Iruka nodded. Naruto formed a cross with the first two fingers of each hand. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he said.

Author Note: Cliffhanger! Did it work? Wait and see next time. Oh, and I know it seems like Naruto has changed a lot, and he has, but bear with me; he's surrounded by friends right now. He won't be so comfortable with everyone for a long time yet. Like I said, bear with me.


	4. Team Assignments

Chapter 4

Hinata was waiting outside for Naruto to come out. She had no doubt her boyfriend would have found a way to pass that exam by now. She was tense, yes, but she had complete faith in Naruto. Everyone else was already either out on the Academy grounds with her or gone, so when she heard the door open, she knew it had to be Naruto.

Looking up, she saw the boy who was like the sun for her, who filled her days with light and made getting up every day worthwhile. Upon seeing him, however, she got a shock. His head was hanging low, his eyes seemed glued to the ground. In fact, he looked like his every hope and dream had been crushed. She ran to him.

Putting her arms around Naruto, Hinata whispered, "What happened Naruto? What's wrong?"

Naruto looked at Hinata, and the girl got a surprise. In spite of his downtrodden appearance, his eyes were full of glee. Suddenly, Hinata knew. Naruto was up to something. Naruto spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hinata, I'm on a mission. Don't say anything or you'll blow my cover. The Hokage told me a few days ago he thinks there's a spy posing as an instructor here at the Academy, and he asked me to try to flush him out. I think I know who it is, and if I'm right, he'll be coming after me soon."

Hinata's heart was beating harder, faster from excitement. She smiled. "I'll be nearby, Naruto, and I'll help you if I can," she said.

Naruto smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Hinata," he said. "I feel a lot better knowing you have my back."

Hinata slipped away, blushing furiously from the kiss, and hid in some nearby bushes and watched Naruto silently. Naruto made a big show of sulking and being upset, especially after Hinata left. She could see his hand in his pocket, though, and figured his new headband must have been in there. Soon, as Naruto had predicted, one of the Academy instructors approached him. It was Mizuki. Hinata was surprised. Mizuki was one of the few instructors here who had actually treated her and Naruto half-way well.

Hinata was a bit too far away to hear what Mizuki was telling Naruto, but she could see he was talking. She cursed herself silently for not mastering her lip reading better.

Suddenly, Naruto whistled loudly. That was the signal. She leapt from the bush and ran at Mizuki. Naruto punched him, which confirmed what his whistle had told her. As Mizuki flew through the air, Hinata planted a Gentle Fist strike on Mizuki's neck. Mizuki fell unconscious from the pain of having his spinal cord severed. Hinata grinned.

Naruto grinned down at Mizuki. "Spy on the Academy, we'll take you out!" he said triumphantly. Then he turned to Hinata. "Thanks, Hinata. I couldn't have done it without you." That said, Naruto hugged Hinata. The girl blushed, then returned the hug with all the strength she could.

"You're sure he was the spy, Naruto?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm sure. He was trying to get me to steal the Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage's office," he said.

Hinata smiled. "I'm glad you're sure...seeing as he'll never move anything below his neck again the rest of his life."

Naruto shuddered. "Remind me to never make you mad."

Hinata giggled. "Will do." She smiled as she cuddled into Naruto's chest. Suddenly she pulled back and looked at him. "Did you actually pass then?"

Naruto pulled his hand from his pocket. As she'd figured, he had a headband in his hand. He smiled as he wrapped it around his forehead. "Yep, I passed." Hinata smiled and hugged him again. Naruto held her, each simply enjoying the proximity of the other. Naruto marveled that the touch of the gentle girl he held could do such damage as he had seen done this day.

Naruto and Hinata spent the rest of that day together, as usual. By now, the young couple knew one another better than anyone else knew either one, including Hinata's father, cousin, and sister. Hiashi, her father, believed her to be a failure, and her cousin, Neji, despised her for being in the main branch of her family, while her younger sister, Hanabi, simultaneously looked down on her as a supposed failure and feared her as the heiress. Hinata wanted nothing more than to end the division of her family, but Neji and Hanabi believed that Hinata would continue oppressing the Branch Family and would, in fact, place Hanabi into said branch. Naruto, though, knew her every hope, dream, failure, and worry.

As for Naruto, no one but Hinata, Kiba, Ino, Iruka-sensei, Teuchi, and Ayame ever bothered to notice him enough to get to know him. Of those, Hinata was the first and, therefore, the one he trusted most. He was close friends with Ino and Kiba, and he looked at Ayame as almost a sister. Teuchi he saw as a pseudo-father-figure of sorts. Naruto saw Iruka as a much-respected teacher and an older brother of sorts. None of them, however, knew him anywhere near as well as Hinata. Naruto had even told Hinata he dreamed of one day being Hokage so he could protect the entire village, as the entire village was precious to him, even if some of them had caused him pain.

Naruto grinned as he remembered telling Hinata his dream and how she had just smiled and told him she'd be right there with him. She never doubted for a second he would make Hokage, and Naruto never doubted for a second that Hinata would become the leader of her clan. Each one had unwavering faith in the other, even while doubting him/herself. Thinking about this, Naruto put one arm around Hinata's shoulders and pulled her to him. Hinata leaned her head on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto's gesture was a combination of affection and protectiveness; he was fiercely protective of Hinata ever since she'd shown herself to be protective of him at the Valley of the End.

As the two made their way around the village, they heard a familiar giggle. Looking up, the two saw Ino and Kiba. Ino had her hand resting on Kiba's arm, Kiba was smiling while his other hand rested on Ino's, and even Akamaru, sitting on Kiba's head, looked happy. Naruto and Hinata, not a word spoken between them, made their way toward their friends.

"Hey, Ino, Kiba," Naruto said softly when the four friends were within earshot. Kiba and Ino turned and smiled at the other couple as they saw Hinata resting her head on Naruto's shoulder, Naruto's arm around her.

Kiba chuckled. "I've never figured how you two can walk around like that," he said, teasing them. He might make fun of them, but, really, deep down, he was jealous of them for being able to do that.

Hinata blushed a little, but smiled as she said, "If you're with someone who can read your moves the way I can read Naruto's, you can do this. Don't worry, Kiba, I'm sure Ino will figure it out eventually."

Ino flushed, worried that Kiba, whom she had come to really care for a lot, would be upset at her. "I'll do my best, Kiba, if that's what you want," she said.

Kiba looked at Ino. He saw the worry in her eyes and smiled. "It's all right, Ino," he said sincerely. "If it happens it happens, I'm not all that worried about it." Ino hugged him at this. She'd really been worried he'd be upset. The young couple shared a short, chaste kiss. Naruto and Hinata just smiled at one another, not needing to show their love at that moment.

Naruto put his hand on Kiba's shoulder. "Well, we'll see you guys tomorrow for team assignments," he said, giving a smile to his two friends. With that the young couples separated, Naruto and Hinata going off on their own, Ino and Kiba continuing to wait for their dinner.

Kiba looked at Ino. "How in the world does that happen?" he asked, gesturing at where Naruto and Hinata had left. Ino looked confused. "I mean how do the two shyest people in school end up together and make such a great couple?"

Ino smiled. "I have no idea, but obviously it happens," she said. Then she smiled. "I'd like to think we're a really great couple, too." She said the last part teasingly, and Kiba just grinned. Akamaru barked, showing his agreement of Ino's assessment. Ino put one arm around Kiba's waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. Kiba grinned and put his arm around her protectively. He might not show it all the time, but Kiba was as protective of Ino as Naruto was of Hinata.

Just then, the two were served their food. They looked at one another, frustration clear on their faces. Both were hungry, but neither wanted to pull apart to eat. Eventually, due to a dearth of other options, the two separated and began eating. About halfway through their meal, Ino started giggling.

Kiba looked at his girlfriend like she'd lost her mind, which he was seriously wondering if she might have. "What's so funny?" he asked her.

Ino smiled. "I was just thinking how the only person I know who's more loyal than you is Naruto," she said. "I really did get the pick of the litter, didn't I?"

Kiba blushed at her praise. He might have taken offense to being called less loyal than someone else, but he knew Naruto would give his life for anyone in the village, so he couldn't really complain about being compared to _him_. He hugged Ino, who squealed in pleasure, then the two finished their meals in companionable silence.

Naruto and Hinata, meanwhile, had made their way to a small clearing in the woods not far from the village wall. This spot had become their special place over the last year or so; they always came here when they wanted to be alone or if they were going to train together. In this case, it was kind of a combination of the two.

Naruto grinned at Hinata. "I want to show you something, Hinata," he said. Hinata looked at him curiously. Naruto made a cross with the first two fingers of each hand. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" he said.

Suddenly Hinata couldn't see anything because of the large amount of smoke that appeared. As it cleared, Hinata found herself surrounded on all sides by hundreds of copies of Naruto. Her first reaction was to pinch herself, thinking it was a dream. When she realized it was real, she thought it was just the clone jutsu. She touched one. It was solid. Hinata gasped. _"So many Narutos, all in one place," _she thought. Hinata had never been one for perverted thoughts, but this situation brought them to her mind anyway. Hinata's eyes rolled back in her head as she got a massive nosebleed and fainted.

Naruto, seeing this, panicked. "Hinata!" he yelled. He managed to catch her—one of his clones did, anyway—before she hit the ground. He laid her on the ground gently and wiped the blood from her nose. He relaxed when he realized she wasn't bleeding now. Releasing the jutsu, Naruto got a sudden headache, after which he somehow knew Hinata had fainted from shock at seeing so many of him. He slowly realized he had gotten the memories of his clones. He grinned; that would be handy.

Once Hinata came to, she found herself being carried bridal style by Naruto. She blushed, but rather than fainting again, she snuggled into his chest and sighed. Naruto smiled at her action, but he decided not to call her out on it. He just carried her home.

Arriving at the Hyuga compound, Naruto set Hinata on her feet. He smiled at her. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he said.

Hinata blushed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto was about to leave, but Hinata called him back. She ran to him and hugged him again. Naruto, surprised, just hugged her back. Hinata looked up at him. "I love you, Naruto," she said, blushing deeper.

Naruto blushed as well. "I love you, too, Hinata," he answered. Hinata smiled and kissed him gently. The two separated, and Hinata went into her home. Naruto smiled and made his way home as well. Naruto took the time to make some ramen, and Hinata arrived home just in time for dinner. Though neither knew it, Naruto and Hinata ended up falling into bed and to sleep at the same time that night.

The next morning, Naruto went by the Hyuga compound to pick up Hinata. Hinata came out and found Naruto waiting for her. He looked nervous for some reason. "Something wrong, Naruto?" she asked.

Naruto smiled, but she could tell it was forced. "I just have to tell you something today, that's all," he told her. Hinata nodded. She didn't press him; he'd tell her when he was ready.

The two made their way to the Academy, arriving right on time. Once everyone was there, Iruka called the class to order. He gave them a short speech about how they were beginning their lives as ninja, but neither Naruto nor Hinata paid much attention to it. Naruto was too worried about what he was going to tell his team, whoever they turned out to be, and Hinata was too worried about Naruto.

Iruka began listing off teams and sensei. The first several passed with very little fanfare. "Team Seven," Iruka said. "Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Kiba Inuzuka." This announcement produced three VERY loud cheers, considering who the three were. Iruka used his Big Head Jutsu and yelled, "QUIET!" The three teammates sat down and were quiet, though now they sat together, with Ino in front of Kiba beside Shikamaru and Choji. "Team Seven," Iruka continued. "Your sensei will be Kakashi Hatake. Team Eight, Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame, and Hotaru Kaneko. Your sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi. Team Nine, Sakura Haruno, Tobio Kaneko, and Sakumo Wasabi. Your sensei will be Anko Mitarashi. Team Ten, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi. Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi." No real fanfare accompanied these announcements, but the members of Team Ten were all smiling. Iruka grinned at his class. "I am proud of all of you. I wish you all the best as you begin your trips down the shinobi road." With that, Iruka smiled at Naruto in particular and left.

After only Team Seven was left, Naruto turned to Hinata and Kiba. "Um, guys, I have something I need to tell you." Both his friends nodded, waiting to see what it was. "I was approached by Mizuki yesterday, and he told me something about myself. I was up early this morning and asked both Iruka-sensei and the Hokage about it. They both told me it's true and explained what it means to me. You guys know the story of the Nine-Tailed Fox, right?" They nodded again. "Well, the story we've always been told isn't quite true."

"What do you mean, Naruto? Why would they lie to us?" Kiba asked.

"Because telling the truth is a capital offense and carries the death penalty," Naruto answered. "The truth is, the Fourth Hokage couldn't actually kill the fox. He could just seal it." He lifted his shirt and concentrated his chakra. His seal appeared for his teammates to see. "He sealed it into me."

Hinata and Kiba both gasped. That explained a lot about Naruto to both of them. Hinata now understood why she had always seen two chakras in Naruto and why he had always been ignored. Kiba now realized there was a reason why Naruto's chakra had always smelled so strong. Both of Naruto's friends ran to him and hugged him. No words were needed; their acceptance was all Naruto needed.

Three hours later the members of Team Seven were _still_ waiting for their sensei, not that they minded; they were enjoying one another's company. Finally, the door opened and a man with gravity-defying silver hair, a mask over half his face, and his Leaf headband covering his left eye entered.

"Hi," he said blithely. Naruto and Hinata looked at him like he was insane, and Kiba just sweat-dropped. "My first impression of this group...you're going to fail." Kiba growled at that. "Meet me on the roof." With that, the man disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Two minutes later, Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and the man, who they assumed was their new sensei, Kakashi, were on the roof of the Academy. "All right," Kakashi said. "Let's all introduce ourselves first."

Kiba snorted. "How about you introduce yourself first, sensei, so we see how it's done."

"Me? All right. I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate...I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future...never really thought about it. As for my hobbies...I have lots of hobbies," he said, apparently seeing nothing whatsoever wrong with that.

Kiba snorted. "All we found out was his name," he said. He turned to their sensei. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka. I like my dog, Akamaru, and my family and friends. I dislike food that isn't chewy. My hobbies are training and taking walks with Akamaru. My dream is to have a fair fight with a strong opponent to test my strength."

Naruto spoke up next. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I l-like my friends and ramen. I d-dislike those who judge o-others w-without g-getting t-to know them. My hobbies are t-training and h-hanging out w-with friends. My d-dream is to be the g-greatest H-Hokage the Hidden Leaf Village h-has ever seen."

Hinata blushed as the other three turned to her. "I'm H-Hinata Hyuga. I like my friends; my f-favorite f-food is c-cinnamon rolls. I d-dislike those w-who r-reject people w-without g-giving them a chance. My h-hobby is f-flower pressing. My d-dream is to f-fight my c-cousin Neji and my father and to gain their respect and b-be worthy of m-my position as h-heiress."

Kakashi sighed. _"A shy heiress, a rowdy Inuzuka, and Naruto, the shiest Jinchuriki ever. They'll never pass,"_ he thought to himself. "All right," he said aloud. "You're all unique and have your own way of thinking. Now, meet me tomorrow morning at 5:00 sharp at Training Ground Seven, and bring your ninja gear. Oh, and don't eat breakfast." The three Genin-hopefuls looked at him, confused. "If you do, you'll just puke." With that, the Jonin disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Kiba grinned at his teammates. "I'll bring breakfast with me in case Kakashi doesn't show up. See you guys at five in the morning I guess. I'm gonna get home and get to sleep."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm going to get a good sleep myself. See you in the morning."

Hinata nodded as well, and the three separated. Each one got home early, ate a good dinner, and went to bed early so they could get plenty of rest. The next morning, they all arrived at the training ground at 4:45. Since, to no one's surprise, Kakashi wasn't there, they ate the breakfast Kiba had brought. Kakashi arrived at 9:00 to find them all asleep.

"Well, I guess I was a _little_ late, but come on guys, did you have to sleep?" he asked. Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba looked at him like he had totally lost his marbles. He pulled out two bells. "All right, the alarm over there is set for noon. You have until then to get these bells from me. Come at me with the intent to kill, or you won't get them. Ready?" The three Genin-hopefuls nodded. "Begin!" Saying this, Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The bell test had begun.


	5. Ringing in a New Era

Chapter 5

Kakashi reappeared a distance away and looked at the three preteens who could become his team after today. He sighed. _"Why do they insist on sending me these teams? It's not like any of them are ever going to pass. This is just becoming a farce lately," _he thought to himself. Then he noticed the three Genin-hopefuls standing together, none of them bothering to hide, none of them moving, just standing where he'd left them. _"What the...?"_ he thought to himself, then moved closer to them.

Kiba chuckled to himself, then turned to his two teammates. "He couldn't have given us an easier test could he?" he said, his voice light, teasing.

Naruto grinned. "Testing us on teamwork huh? He must be a real fool," he said. Hinata giggled at the antics of her teammates. Both smiled at her. "All right, Hinata, where is he?" Naruto asked. Hinata activated her Byakugan and scanned the area. She pointed.

"He's in a tree about two hundred feet into the woods there," she told them.

Naruto and Kiba both turned to the girl. "All right, Hinata, what's the plan?" Kiba asked.

Had the three of them not done this several times before, Hinata would have probably blushed, stammered, and maybe even fainted, but as it was, the shy girl was used to being the brains of the group. As such, she quickly outlined a plan of attack in her quiet voice.

Kakashi wondered what the three preteens were talking about, but he wasn't about to get close enough to see in case Hinata had her Byakugan activated. He watched as they slowly separated. _"And now they fail,"_ he thought to himself, thinking they were going to come after him on their own.

A few moments passed after Kakashi lost sight of the three students when, suddenly, Kakashi found a kunai sticking in the tree he was perched in, mere inches from his head. Looking to one side, he suppressed a groan when he found Kiba sitting in the tree next to his, looking smug.

"Found you, Kakashi-sensei," Kiba snickered. Kakashi lunged at Kiba, wondering if the young boy would be able to dodge, given his precarious position. He wasn't expecting the dog-user to jump, but he did. Kiba curled himself into a ball in the air and rolled into a kick.

The feral youth's attack landed on the back of Kakashi's head, sending him toward the ground and Akamaru. The small dog had been waiting at the base of the trees in his Man Beast Clone form for just this occasion. He leapt and began to spin. Kiba grinned as he watched Akamaru use Fang Over Fang. "Yes, Akamaru! That's putting our training to good use!" he yelled out.

Akamaru stopped spinning and landed. He turned a feral grin up at his master. Both turned toward their sensei and groaned when they found a log in two pieces laying where the silver-haired man had landed. _"Good call, Hinata,"_ Kiba thought.

Reappearing near the clearing where the team had originally met, Kakashi looked around, not expecting to find anything. Just as he was about to pull out his book, though, he felt a tug on his foot and leapt. He was a split second ahead of the trap Hinata had left.

Naruto leapt from the edge of the clearing just then. He launched a punch at Kakashi's head, which the silver-haired man ducked, then tried for a sweeping kick, which he evaded by jumping. Hinata had predicted this, naturally, and jumped up to intercept him, Byakugan active. Kakashi barely deflected the Gentle Fist strikes. Then Kiba rejoined the two and launched into Fang Over Fang with Akamaru, aimed at where Kakashi would land. From Kakashi's perspective, it looked like Kiba was about to barrel through Naruto to get to him.

"_Going to attack your own teammate, Kiba?"_ he thought. Sure enough, Kiba slammed into Naruto, spinning madly. However, Naruto simply disappeared in a cloud of smoke. _"A Shadow Clone?"_ In his shock, Kakashi neglected to dodge, so Kiba's Fang Over Fang plowed straight into him.

Kakashi barely had time to substitute again. He took a deep breath. Was this team actually working together? Having moved to behind a tree from the team, he thought he'd be safe for a moment at least. He thought so, anyway, until Naruto appeared in front of him, a grin on his face and Kiba and Hinata beside him.

Kakashi, surprised, had to ask. "You do know that attacking me straight up like this is a bad idea, don't you?"

Naruto chuckled. "It would be if I was alone, sure," he said, his eyes glinting. "But I've got my team with me."

Kakashi was about to say something when all three people in front of him vanished in a cloud of smoke. He couldn't see more than a foot in front of him, then suddenly he found himself dealing with Hinata, whose Byakugan was active again.

With a well-placed kick, Kakashi sent Hinata flying out of the smoke and into the clearing again. Hinata breathed deeply, trying not to cough; he'd hit her chest pretty hard. Kakashi was going over to her to talk to her, when suddenly Kiba and Naruto appeared in front of him. "Test is over, Kakashi-sensei," Kiba said.

"Is that so?" he answered. "I wouldn't be so sure, you haven't gotten the..." Kakashi trailed off as he reached for the bells on his belt, only to find them gone.

"You mean these?" Kiba asked, pulling the two bells out from somewhere and holding them up in front of Kakashi.

"All right, Kiba, you hold your teammates' future in your hand. What will you do?" Kakashi asked, expecting him to hand one bell to Naruto, maybe, and to leave Hinata out, or the other way around.

Surprising the silver-haired Jonin, Kiba tossed both bells, one to Naruto, the other to Hinata. Both students came to Kiba and tried to force their bells back onto the dog-user.

"We won't move on without you, Kiba," Naruto said. "You're our friend and our teammate, and we won't go on without you." Hinata nodded her agreement.

"_So, they really get it," _Kakashi thought. _"I'm impressed. Then again, I guess I should have expected nothing less from Minato-sensei's son."_ He stopped for a moment, wondering when that particular bit of information had dawned on him, then shook his head at how obvious it was now that he thought of it. He turned to his new team. "Don't worry about it," he said. "You won't have to move on without Kiba. You all pass." He eye-smiled at them. The three now-official Genin whooped and cheered. Kakashi smiled at them from behind his mask. "Team Seven!" The three Genin came to attention and smiled at him. "Dismissed for today. We have our first mission tomorrow. Meet here at 7:30, got it?" The three nodded, and the Jonin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto chuckled. "See you guys around nine then?" he asked. Hinata and Kiba looked surprised. "Well, if today's any indication, he'll be here around ten-thirty or so." The other two nodded after a moment, seeing the logic in that.

"See you guys tomorrow, then," Kiba said and left.

Naruto smiled at Hinata. "I'll see you around eight tomorrow, all right?" he asked her. She blushed, then nodded. "It'll be nice to have some alone time. We haven't had that in a while."

Hinata giggled. "All right, Naruto. Walk me home?" Naruto nodded and held out an arm. Hinata linked hers with it, and the two began the trek toward the Hyuga compound.

xxxxxx

Kiba turned to Akamaru. "All right, pal, where's Ino?" he asked. Akamaru barked; the puppy liked Ino, too. The two best friends were soon running through Konoha's streets, following the scent of the blond.

Ino turned when she heard a yap. "Hey, Akamaru," she said, smiling. The puppy bounded to her and into her arms. Then she turned to the puppy's master. "Hey, Kiba," she said softly. Kiba smiled and put an arm around Ino.

Ino laid her head on Kiba's shoulder. Kiba looked surprised. They'd been trying to do this for months, but it had never worked before. Ino nodded. Kiba started to walk, and, sure enough, Ino fell into step with him. Kiba smiled, tears in his eyes. Ino had literally been working to be able to do this for him for months, if not more.

Holding Ino closer to him, Kiba decided it was time to tell Ino something he'd known for a while now but never said. "Ino?" he said. Ino looked up at him, her blue eyes curious. Somehow, the changed view didn't hinder her steps as she continued to keep pace with him easily. Kiba smiled, the tears in his eyes overflowing a little.

"Kiba, what's wrong?" Ino asked, worried. She'd never seen Kiba cry before. "What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

Kiba shook his head. "No, Ino, not at all. These are tears of happiness," he said, blushing a little. Ino smiled, her eyes still curious. "I've been thinking a lot the last few weeks, and there's something I need to tell you." Ino noticed at that point that they were passing through the park—she hadn't been paying attention to where they were—and directed Kiba to a nearby bench, where both of them sat down. Kiba took Ino's hand in his and looked into her eyes. He blushed as he saw his reflection in the deep blue of Ino's eyes. He felt himself being drawn into them as he always did when he looked into them like this.

Ino blushed at the intensity of Kiba's look. His chocolate brown eyes were moist and full of emotion. Ino felt herself floating in his eyes. She always did think Kiba's eyes were the best thing about him. Just looking into them, she felt herself getting weak at the knees. Kiba blinked after a moment, then kissed the back of Ino's hand. Ino blushed at the romantic gesture. "So, Kiba, what is it you wanted to tell me?" she asked.

Kiba blushed again, then relocked his eyes with hers. He smiled. "I love you, Ino," he said. Ino gasped. She hadn't been expecting _that_.

Wrapping her arms around Kiba, she whispered in his ear, "I love you, too, Kiba." The two pulled back a little, arms around one another, and smiled at one another. Then they kissed. It wasn't their first kiss, but, to both of them, it was by far the best. _"June 12,"_ Ino thought. _"I'll always remember this day."_

xxxxxx

Kakashi entered the Hokage's office. "Lord Hokage, I'm here to report on my team's test," he said, bowing.

Hiruzen nodded. "Report, Kakashi," he said.

"They passed with flying colors," Kakashi said. "I've never seen a team work together as well as those three do, and that includes Ino-Shika-Cho."

"Really?" Sarutobi asked. "That good, huh?"

Kakashi chuckled. "I was surprised, too," he said. "Then again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given who their parents are."

Hiruzen chuckled and blew smoke from his pipe. "Hiashi and Tsume, you mean?" he asked, not sure if Kakashi knew who Naruto's parents were.

"And Minato-sensei," Kakashi said back, giving the old Hokage a glare. Sarutobi froze. "Thought so. Why didn't you tell me my sensei had a son, Lord Hokage?" The respectful title was said with just a _hint_ of venom.

"Because, no offense, Kakashi, if you had known who Naruto was when he was born, everyone in the Elemental Nations would have known within a month. I hope you've grown enough since those days to know better than to blab about it," the old man commented.

Kakashi thought about his leader's words, then nodded. "I suppose that's true, but now that I know, I want to be the one to tell him. And I'm going to take care of him now, too," he said, his tone telling the Hokage that no argument would be tolerated, even from him.

Hiruzen gave a small smile. "Good, Kakashi, I'm glad to see you see the jailer rather than the prisoner," he said. Kakashi nodded. "I take it you'll want a mission for your team tomorrow?" Kakashi nodded again. "Very well. Dismissed." Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke. "I'm proud of you, Kakashi, and your father would be, too," Hiruzen commented to the empty air.

xxxxxx

Naruto smiled at Hinata and kissed her softly as they approached the Hyuga home. "I love you, Hinata," he said softly.

Hinata blushed as she always did when he said that. "I love you, too, Naruto," she said back, smiling.

Naruto smiled. "See you in the morning, all right?" Hinata nodded, and the two separated.

Naruto made his way home and made himself a light dinner, not ramen for once. He had a recipe he'd been holding onto for a long time and he'd decided to try it that night. It was a recipe for gyōza he'd found in the bottom of one of his drawers some years back. Tasting the fried concoction, Naruto had to smile at how good it was. Then and there, he threw together the rest of the ingredients he had for the stuff and made a huge batch for his team to have while they were on their first mission tomorrow.

xxxxxx

Hinata entered the Hyuga compound with her head held high and her back straight. She had nothing to be ashamed of this day; after all, she was part of the first team _ever_ passed by Kakashi Hatake! And her team had used _her_ plan to boot!

Hiashi saw his daughter coming into their family home and marveled yet again at the changes he'd seen her undergo during the course of her years in the Academy. She had changed from a shy, withdrawn girl into the proud young woman he saw before him now. Yes, she was still shy at times and still stuttered and was still very kind, but her confidence had grown in leaps and bounds.

"Hinata," he said. Hinata turned toward him and smiled. "How did your team do today?"

Hinata grinned. Yes, that's right, Hinata Hyuga, the shyest Hyuga ever, actually _grinned_ at her father! "We passed easily, Father," she said back. "Naruto, Kiba, and I are a perfect team, and we managed to get the bells from Kakashi."

Hiashi looked surprised. "Kakashi gave you the bell test, huh?" he asked. Hinata nodded. "And you got them?"

Hinata nodded again. "Well, technically, Kiba was the one to swipe them while Naruto and I distracted him, but yes, together we got them," she said.

Hiashi chuckled, much to the shock of Hinata. _"Ah, the bell test,"_ he thought to himself. _"I remember the day when Jiraiya-sensei gave that test to Minato, Tsume, and me. I guess the Third was trying to recreate that team with this new generation."_ Hiashi turned a smile onto his daughter. "You have done well, Hinata. I presume you need rest for your first day as a full-fledged shinobi of the Leaf tomorrow, so I won't keep you." Hinata left, eyes glazed in shock. Hiashi, alone, pulled out a small picture. It showed Minato, Tsume, Hiashi, and Jiraiya after their first day as an official team. _"I miss those old days. Oh, my, what would Minato and Kushina say about their son being friends with my daughter?"_ He thought about that a moment, then chuckled again. _"Kushina would be trying to get them married, and Minato would be laughing at how obvious it is—hell, Minato missed Tsume's crush on him, and I don't think even _he_ could miss this!"_

Hinata made her way to her room and laid down. _"What in the world came over Father tonight? I've never seen him laugh before! That was creepy. I hope nothing's wrong and that this doesn't cause any problems for Naruto and me!"_ With that thought in her mind, she slowly fell asleep.

She had a very odd dream of her father as a kid and some blond man—she didn't recognize him but he looked like Naruto—arguing about something. As she watched, a redheaded woman approached them, snarled something about them both being idiots, and smacked them both on the back of their heads. The two boys—it felt odd thinking of her father as a boy, but in this dream he _was_ one—clonked foreheads with one another. With that, the dream ended, leaving a very confused Hinata to sleep through the rest of the night with no dreams whatsoever.

xxxxxx

Kiba opened his clan home's door and looked around carefully. He was late coming home, and he did _not_ want to deal with his mother or sister just now. He sighed. No one was in evidence. _"Yes, I'm home free!"_ he thought, just as the lights flicked on.

"So, you finally decided to come home, eh, Little Brother?" a voice said.

"It's about time, Pup," said another. Kiba groaned. Not just Hana, not just his mother, but _both_ of them were sitting in the living room and glaring at him. At least neither of them had their canine companions with them. Akamaru gave a seemingly amused yap and ran out of the room.

"Wimp," Kiba said to the puppy.

"So, little brother, where have you been all night?" Hana asked. "Out with your little giiiiiirlfriend?"

Kiba snarled. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I was out with Ino, if you must know," he said, knowing better than to lie to either of the women of his home.

"Just don't get her pregnant yet," Tsume commented, chuckling. Kiba just glared at his mother as she left the room.

Hana rolled her eyes at their mother. "Seriously, Kiba, be good to Ino, she deserves it," she said. "I doubt you need me to tell you that, but seriously, she's a good girl, and she deserves the absolute best you can give her."

Kiba gave Hana a small smile. "I know, Sis, and I always give her my best. Don't worry, I'll be good to her," he told her.

Hana ruffled Kiba's hair and smiled. "You're growing up well, Little Brother. You'll be a fine man one of these days," she said. "Now get your rest, you'll need it."

Kiba chuckled. That went better than he'd expected. "Thanks, Sis," Kiba said. "Good night."

Hana smiled again. "Good night, Little Brother," she said, and the two parted, each falling into bed and sleep almost immediately.

A/N: And there's the chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll do what I can to get the next chapter out soon.


	6. Team Seven Departs

Chapter 6

Naruto growled. This was _not_ what he'd signed up for when he decided to be a shinobi! He was currently hiding in a bush, his back and sides being poked by the branches, and waiting for a signal from Kakashi to let him and his team know it was time to strike. Naruto sighed, resigned, as he thought back to how this mission had come to be the first one his team would take on.

Flashback

_Team Seven and Kakashi stood in front of the Hokage's desk, waiting for the old man to tell them what their mission would be._

"_We've got several D-rank missions you can take on," Sarutobi commented. "Gardening, painting fences, babysitting-"_

_The old man was interrupted at that moment by a hysterical woman running into the office. "Hiruzen!" she yelled. "My poor kitty, Tora, is missing again! You have to send someone to find her, right away!"_

_Sarutobi sighed deeply. _"It just had to be Tora today, didn't it?"_ the old man thought to himself. To the heavy-set woman, he said, "You couldn't have come at a better time. We just so happen to have a team in want of a mission right here." He pointed at Team Seven as he said this._

_The woman looked at them and noticed Akamaru. "Your dog wouldn't hurt my poor Tora, would he?" she asked, suspiciously._

_Kiba chuckled. "Of course not, ma'am," he answered. "Akamaru here would never hurt anyone who was innocent."_

_Sarutobi almost choked. _"That's not exactly comforting, Kiba,"_ he thought to himself._

_The woman, however, seemed satisfied with this. "They'll do, just get Tora back quickly!" she said._

Flashback End

Naruto chuckled. _"And to think, if we'd been just a little earlier or just a little later, we could have avoided all of this,"_ he thought to himself. _"Oh, well, at least we're not out painting or babysitting right now."_

As Naruto was thinking this, Team Seven heard a voice over their earpieces. "NOW!"

At that signal, Kiba and Akamaru dove for the target, namely, the cat, Tora. She had been sitting near a bush, washing herself, when the team found her. At Kiba's bark, the cat fled, naturally. It fled, however, straight toward where Hinata was waiting for it. Hinata held out her arms, and, surprising Kakashi but no one else, the cat leapt straight into her arms. Once there, the cat seemed perfectly content to allow itself to be petted and fussed over by the young Hyuga.

Naruto approached the girl and gently petted the cat as well. "You like cats, Hinata?" he asked her. Hinata nodded. "Maybe we can get one someday." Hinata just smiled at the boy. She rather liked that idea.

Kakashi's voice came over the radios again. "Can you confirm the capture of the target?" he asked.

Hinata giggled a little. "Ribbon on right ear," she said. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei, we have a positive ID."

Kakashi chuckled. "Good. Lost pet Tora captured. Mission complete," he said. "Team, regroup at Hokage Tower."

It took a few minutes for everyone to arrive, but soon enough the four ninja, one dog, and one cat were at the door of Hokage Tower. The four ninja nodded to one another then entered the building and made their way to the Hokage's office.

Hinata handed the cat off to its owner, who promptly squeezed the poor creature and smashed it into her considerable bosom, crooning over her "poor kitty" as she did so. Hinata, Naruto, and even Kiba winced in sympathy for the poor thing.

Hinata approached the woman. "Ma'am, if I may," she spoke. The woman looked down at her in confusion. She held out her arms, and, shocking the woman, the cat leapt eagerly into Hinata's hands. "You see how I hold her, gently, carefully, not squishing her and not hurting her?" Hinata asked. The woman nodded. "Hold out your hands like this." The woman, shocking everyone, the Hokage in particular, did as Hinata said. Hinata set the cat gently in her hands, then petted the cat gently, demonstrating how to not hurt the small animal. The heavy-set woman followed the small girl's example, much to the cat's obvious relief. "See, be gentle with her, and I doubt she'll run away again," Hinata said simply.

The woman turned to Sarutobi and handed over a rather large stack of bills. "Here," she said. "My fee for a successful D-rank, and a bonus for the team. Thank you all, and I must say," here she turned to Kakashi, "I've never seen a more well-behaved team than this one. You are to be commended, sir."

Kakashi eye-smiled at the praise, and the large woman left. At this point, Hinata turned to the Hokage's desk, only to find Sarutobi and Iruka both staring at her like she was insane or something. "What?" she asked. Iruka opened and closed his mouth several times before finally giving up and falling silent.

Sarutobi took a deep breath. "Hinata, do you have any idea who that woman was?" he asked. Hinata shook her head, her pale eyes curious. "That was the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's wife!" Hinata thought about that. It slowly dawned on her that she had not only given pet care tips, but pretty much orders, to the wife of the ruler of her country! Hinata's eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted. Luckily for her, Naruto was on hand to catch her and save her from falling to the hard wood floor of the Hokage's office.

Iruka chuckled. "Guess she hasn't gotten over fainting completely yet, huh?" he said ruefully.

"Clearly not," Naruto said back, grinning at his pseudo-brother. Everyone laughed at that.

Kakashi turned to his team. "All right, team, no more missions today, meet at the training ground after dinner, we're going on an excursion this evening," he said. "And bring your camping gear." Naruto and Kiba nodded, and, moments later, only Kakashi, the Hokage, and Iruka were left in the office.

"He's more like his father every day," Kakashi said, referring to Naruto. The Hokage and Iruka both nodded. "So you knew, too, eh, Iruka?" Iruka flushed slightly, then nodded. "All right, well, I'll see you both in a few days, and be warned, they'll probably all know by then." The other two people in the room looked concerned. "Don't worry, they're ready, and I'll make sure they know not to tell anyone who shouldn't know." The other two still looked concerned, but both nodded, trusting in Kakashi's judgment of the situation.

xxxxxx

Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba were on their way out of the Hokage tower when they were approached by a tall serious looking man wearing a dark blue bandanna over his hair and almost opaque sunglasses. "Oh, hello, Naruto," the man greeted. Naruto turned a grin on the man. "How has your training with Kakashi been going?"

Naruto chuckled. "We really surprised him the first day. How's Konohamaru doing, Ebisu-sensei?" he replied, his grin never wavering for a moment.

"He's doing great, he's even stopped trying to attack his grandfather, thanks to you," was the answer. The now-named Ebisu had a warm smile on his face as he contemplated the blond knucklehead.

As the man was speaking, three Genin, maybe a year older than Naruto and his team, approached him. "Come on, Ebisu-sensei, we need to get a mission!" one of them, a dark-haired boy with green eyes, said.

Ebisu shook his head good-naturedly. "Well, better be off, seems my team is demanding a mission," he said and followed his team into the Hokage tower.

Hinata turned to Naruto once the older man had left. "Who was that, Naruto?" she asked. She thought she knew Naruto better than anyone, yet she had never even _heard_ of this guy, yet Naruto clearly knew him.

"Oh, that was Ebisu, he's been giving Old Man Hokage's grandson special training since his clan doesn't really have time," Naruto explained to his teammates. "I ran into them some time back; I guess Ebisu took a team last year...I didn't know that, I haven't seen him or Konohamaru in a long time."

Hinata pondered the man as he walked off. She'd have to get to know this Konohamaru, she supposed. Kiba, being the more adaptable of the two, shrugged off the whole event and said, "You guys want to get some dinner together and head to meet Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto grinned and took Hinata by the hand. "I'm in, what about you, Hinata?" he said. Hinata blushed; she wasn't as shy around Naruto as she used to be, but him touching her and such still elicited a blush from her at times. She thought about it a moment, then nodded; after all, she didn't really want to go home just yet.

Kiba whooped, Akamaru barked, Naruto grinned, and the team was off. It took them a few minutes of discussion, but soon enough they found themselves at the barbecue restaurant Choji frequented.

As they entered, Kiba was minimally surprised when he got glomped out of nowhere by Ino. Looking around, the team located Shikamaru and Choji in a booth near the back. "Hey, you guys!" Ino said, arms still around Kiba. "We were just hanging out after training, you want to join us?"

Kiba turned a pleading look on Naruto and Hinata, who looked at one another a moment before nodding. Kiba grinned, and Team Seven and Ino joined Shikamaru and Choji. Upon sitting down, Ino leaned her head on Kiba's shoulder. Shikamaru turned a baleful look on Choji, as if to say, "And you wanted to date her, why exactly?" Choji just shrugged.

Naruto chuckled at the silent exchange. "So, what's new with you guys? We haven't seen you in a while," he commented to Team Ten.

"You're telling me," Shikamaru answered. "It's been such a drag, Asuma-sensei has had us training till we drop almost every day for weeks now! And we've only done what feels like a hundred D-ranks now."

Naruto chuckled. "Only you would complain about getting paid that much, Shikamaru," he said wryly. Shikamaru turned a small smile onto his friend. "Anyway, our sensei is taking us on some kind of excursion after dinner tonight, so we probably won't see you guys for a while."

Shikamaru looked at Kiba and Ino, who were wrapped up in one another, both figuratively and literally. He sighed. "So I'll get to deal with Ino complaining about missing Kiba until you guys get back. What a drag," he said. Naruto and Hinata laughed quietly, and Choji guffawed loudly.

Choji rested a large hand on Shikamaru's arm. "It'll be all right, Shikamaru," he said. "It's not like you really have much else to do." Saying this, he winked at everyone, causing Naruto and Hinata to laugh again, and even Shikamaru had to smile.

Naruto turned to Hinata suddenly. "At least we won't be apart, eh, Hinata?" he said.

Hinata blushed deeply and threw herself at Naruto. The two ended up much like Kiba and Ino. Choji and Shikamaru looked at one another. "Guess we're on our own, eh, old friend?" the lazy genius commented.

Choji gave a wry chuckle and nodded. "Forget them, let's eat," he said.

Half an hour passed in silence as Shikamaru and Choji ate and the other four people at the table partook of a slightly different kind of nourishment. Just as Choji was reaching for the last two pieces of meat, Naruto and Kiba simultaneously reached out and grabbed one piece each. Choji's face began to turn red and he was about to start yelling.

Naruto didn't give him the chance. "Choji, don't try it, only someone in love can truly savor the final bite of any food, any meal, so the four of us must do so together, now just chill. Don't worry, we'll give it the respect it deserves," he said. Choji, shocked that the four were even aware of him, sat down and slumped slightly, his rage gone.

Shikamaru watched in fascination as Naruto and Kiba, as one, tore their pieces of meat in half and slowly fed one half to their respective girlfriends, then slowly ate the final pieces, savoring them, chewing slowly, seemingly luxuriating in the taste and the togetherness they were experiencing at that moment. Even Choji had to smile at the moment.

xxxxxx

Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba entered the training ground, Kiba looking a bit downhearted, Naruto and Hinata perfectly satisfied. They were surprised when, moments after they arrived, Kakashi did as well.

Naruto looked up at the silver-haired man in surprise. "You're on time, Kakashi-sensei," he said. Kakashi nodded. "What's up with that? You're never on time!"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "I'm always on time, it's not my fault you three are always early," he said blithely. Naruto and Hinata sweat-dropped, while Kiba just growled. "But seriously, I'm on time because this particular expedition is very important to me. And to you, too, Naruto," he added, giving the blond an eye-smile.

Naruto looked confused. "Important to me, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked. Kakashi just nodded, declining to say any more at that moment. "All right, then let's get going!" Everyone smiled at Naruto's enthusiasm, which had become somewhat more apparent over the years. The four made their way out of the training ground and headed for the main gate.

"Oh, Kakashi, Naruto, hey!" a voice called as Team Seven approached the main gate. Everyone turned and found Ebisu and his team approaching them.

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Hello, Ebisu," he said. "How's the reading going?"

Ebisu chuckled. "I'm almost done with volume 2, yourself?"

"Oh, I finished it last night. That ending was awesome!"

"Don't spoil it, I'll read it after this mission," Ebisu told the silver-haired man. Then he turned and called to an older man with a wide-brimmed hat on. "Tazuna! Come on!" The man made his way over and he and Ebisu's team departed from the village.

"See you when you get back, Ebisu," Kakashi said. "Have a good mission!" Ebisu and his team waved to Kakashi and Team Seven.

Naruto had a sudden chill. "I get the feeling something bad is going to happen to them," he said. Then he shook it off. "Oh, what am I saying? I sound like Neji with all this fatalism. I'm sure they'll be fine. So, Kakashi-sensei, shall we get going?"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Indeed, Naruto. Come on, team, let's get moving." That said, the four ninja made their way out of the village on their first excursion out of the village as a team. Looking over his team, Kakashi saw the shadows of their parents, Hiashi, Minato, and Tsume. Kakashi took a deep breath. _"I will make you into a team your parents would be proud of,"_ he silently promised his team. He just hoped he was up to the challenge.


	7. Knowledge and Acceptance

Chapter 7

Ebisu stood before the Third Hokage, Tazuna beside him and an enraged look on his face. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at his subordinate. "What is the meaning of this, Ebisu?" he asked.

Ebisu shoved the bridge-builder onto the ground with a snarl. "Ask him," he answered.

Hiruzen raised both eyebrows this time and turned his attention to the straw-hatted man. "Well, Tazuna, I believe you have some explaining to do," he said.

"And in the meantime, I have families to notify," Ebisu said, then vanished from the room.

xxxxxx

Kakashi smiled at his team and performed a low-level fire jutsu to light their campfire for the night. Since they had left the village so late, they hadn't traveled far before they stopped. Kakashi had led them to a small clearing not far from the village walls. Naruto set up the tents while Hinata collected water from a nearby stream and Kiba went hunting for their dinner. Kakashi looked impressed at how naturally each member of the team performed his or her own function. _"It's almost like they've done this before,"_ he thought to himself.

When Kiba returned with four skinned rabbits, Naruto looked hungrily at them, and soon the team was sitting around the fire and eating their meal; though they had eaten dinner before leaving, traveling and setting up camp had worked up an appetite in all four of them. Even Akamaru got a share of the meat. Kiba, Hinata, and Naruto all tossed him bits of their own meals. Kakashi, not wanting to feel left out, did so as well; this night, he and his team were equals, he was not their sensei, they were all merely ninja of the Leaf. Naruto and Kiba looked like they were going to object to Kakashi's actions at first, but neither did, much to the silver-haired man's relief; the Jonin had asked for acceptance from his team, and his team had given it.

Once their meal was finished, Naruto turned to the silver-haired man. "All right, Kakashi-sensei, spill. You said this excursion was going to be very important to me, it's time you explain what you meant," he said.

Kakashi chuckled. "Straight to the point, huh? Okay," he said, then sighed. "First off, I have a question for you three." The three Genin perked up and looked at him, waiting. "Have any of you figured out how the teams you were put on were selected?"

The team thought a moment, then Hinata spoke up. "Well, I noticed that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were put on a team, and I know their parents were on a team together as well."

Kiba nodded. "And I think I remember hearing somewhere that Shino's dad was on a team with an Uchiha when he was a Genin," he supplied.

Naruto was the first to put the pieces together. "They make the teams to be like our parents' teams, don't they?" he asked. Kakashi smiled and nodded. "But wait...what about us?"

Kiba nodded. "I remember Mom telling me about going on missions with Hiashi, and I know that's Hinata's father, but what about Naruto?"

Hinata thought about what she'd just heard, then suddenly gasped. "Minato," she said quietly.

Kakashi heard her. "Yes, Hinata," he told her. Hinata looked at the man in shock. "Kiba, your mother's other teammate was Minato Namikaze. I'm sure you all three recognize _that_ name." The team nodded. How could they _not_ recognize the name of the Fourth Hokage? "And yes, before you ask, your team was formed with the children of a previous team, just like Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji." He sat back a moment to let that sink in.

"So, you mean...I'm the son of the Fourth?" Naruto asked, his voice subdued, similar to how it had been before he met Hinata and Ino, all those years ago. Kakashi nodded. "I guess that explains a lot..." his voice trailed off as his hand went to his stomach and became a fist.

"Naruto," Kakashi said quietly. Naruto turned to him. "Your father...and your mother, they both loved you. I know for a fact they would both be here with you right now if they could. Your father only sealed the fox in you because he couldn't ask another family to make a sacrifice he was unwilling to make himself. Those are his exact words, by the way." Naruto nodded after a moment. "And he always wanted you to be seen as a hero. I'm sorry his wish wasn't really fulfilled by the village."

"It's okay, it's not your fault, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said after a moment. "Besides, I've got these two now, and they're all I really need anyway." As he said this, his teammates came to him, and the three shared a group hug. Kakashi rose and made his way to them.

Putting his arms around his team, Kakashi spoke to them softly, "I may only be the student of the Fourth, but I promise you three, I'll do my best to train you and make you into a team your parents will be proud of." At his words, the team opened their arms to him both figuratively and literally, and Team Seven became a family in all but blood.

As Kakashi pulled away from his team, he had a thought. _"Is this what being a father feels like?"_

xxxxxx

It was not often that Hiruzen Sarutobi showed his true feelings; as the Hokage, it wasn't often he_ could_ show them and get away with it. This, however, was one of those times. He was glaring at Tazuna with rage and Killing Intent in his eyes. Tazuna cowered away from the old man's gaze. The bridge-builder was shocked that this old man could still contain such rage; after all, the leader of the village being so old had been one of the reasons Tazuna had not been afraid to deceive them. Now, he regretted his own lack of foresight. He spared a moment's thought to acknowledge that this old man's sheer power was enough that even Zabuza, the assassin who had caused him so much trouble, would have likely cowered before it.

"Tazuna," the Hokage began, his voice surprisingly calm. "You deceived us, you kept vital information from us, and your failure to be honest and upfront with us has led to the deaths of three of this village's Genin. Had you told us to begin with the truth of your situation, we could have worked out a payment plan or something, but now...your bridge is built and my Genin are dead."

Tazuna hung his head in shame. "I am sorry, Lord Hokage, I know I should have told you the truth to begin with, I was just so afraid if I did you would demand I pay in full for it immediately, and I couldn't do that. Any of the other villages would have made that demand, after all."

Hiruzen nodded; he had to grant Tazuna's point. "All right, Tazuna, since your foolishness has led to the deaths of three of my young people, I will demand that you personally pay each of their families 10,000 ryo in compensation. Beyond that, I will discuss further compensation for the village from you and your country later. For now, get out of my sight before I lose control of myself and kill you."

Tazuna didn't think to question the man's words; they were said so calmly and so quietly the bridge-builder had no doubt the old man would follow through if Tazuna didn't make himself scarce, so he did just that.

Emerging from the shadows of the Hokage's office, Danzo Shimura, the Hokage's oldest rival, commented, "So, you do still have some fire in your veins, huh?"

Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen turned to the old war-hawk. "The fire in my veins has never died down, Danzo," he began. "I merely control it in order to bring our land peace."

"We do not need peace!" Danzo answered. "We need to show the other lands that we are the strongest of them and that they should fear and respect us. Your seeking for peace has led to the other lands thinking us weak. Look at the way Kumogakure treated us during the Hyuga fiasco."

Hiruzen sighed and nodded; again, as much as he hated to, he had to grant the point being made. "That is true to an extent, but even you have to admit that we are hailed as the strongest of the great nations now," he told his rival. Danzo nodded; the Hokage's words were true after all. "And we have had peace for years now. I'm sure you can see that even in peace we can show our strength by hosting the Chunin Exams and things like that; hell, those exams are a chance to show our strength and keep the peace at the same time."

Danzo thought a moment, then said, "I will think on your words, Hiruzen. Perhaps you would indulge your old friend in a spar the next time we have a chance?"

Hiruzen smiled at the bandaged man. "It would be my pleasure, Danzo."

xxxxxx

Konohamaru Sarutobi, the grandson of the Third Hokage, stepped from the shadows of his grandfather's office. "Is that old coot really as dangerous as you make him out to be, Old Man?" he asked, his voice skeptical.

The Hokage gave his grandson a small smile. "Indeed, Konohamaru, he is. You remember that I told you that a ninja's greatest weapon is deception, don't you?" Konohamaru nodded, but his eyes betrayed that he still wasn't buying that Danzo was the dangerous man his grandfather had warned him about. "I know for a fact Danzo is keeping things from me, but I can't prove it. As long as I can't prove it, there's nothing I can do about it, and so I have no choice but to keep him on as my adviser. In a way, you could say that I'm stuck with him. On the other hand, Danzo can't stand me for the most part, but he doesn't dare resign because he knows if he did I'd undo pretty much everything Danzo's done, so, in a way, he's stuck with me, too."

Konohamaru sighed. "That's what you meant when you warned me I'd hate politics, huh?" he commented, causing his aging grandfather to burst into laughter. Konohamaru sighed again. "Maybe Naruto was right; I _would_ be nuts to try to take your job!"

Hiruzen finally calmed down from his laughing fit and smiled at his grandson. "Konohamaru, you have within you a Will of Fire that is stronger than most I've seen. That is a trait you have in common with your friend, Naruto. I hope that if you never do take my place as Hokage that whoever does has a Will of Fire that burns as brightly as yours does," he said, his voice serious but kind.

Konohamaru blushed at his grandfather's praise. Then, he had a thought. "Speaking of Naruto," he said, "I haven't heard from him in a while. What's going on with him lately?"

Hiruzen smiled. "He's out on an excursion with his team right now, actually," he told the boy. "I believe Kakashi is telling him and his team of Naruto's heritage and his past." Konohamaru nodded. Due to a bizarre accident of fate, Konohamaru knew about Naruto's parentage and his tenant. Between his own natural intelligence and his grandfather explaining the truth of the situation to the boy, Konohamaru accepted Naruto for who and what he was, and knowing about it only endeared the shy blond to the Hokage's grandson even more. Konohamaru even let Naruto get away with calling him "Honorable Grandson" once in a while, even though being called that _greatly _annoyed him.

"So when he gets back, I won't have to hide what I know anymore huh?" he asked. Hiruzen just nodded. Konohamaru smiled. "That's a relief."

xxxxxx

As Konohamaru was discussing Team Seven's excursion with his grandfather, Naruto was finally coming to terms with everything that had happened. When he and his team had left the village, he had been an orphan with a girlfriend, a friend, and a teacher. Now, however, he was a brother to the friend and, he felt, a son to the teacher. He smiled as he looked at Hinata, the only person present with whom, he felt, his relationship hadn't changed. Hinata smiled back at him, then moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Hinata," Naruto said after a moment. Hinata sat up and looked at him, confused. "For accepting me in spite of the fox, for not being afraid of me. For...still loving me."

Hinata smiled and cupped Naruto's cheeks in her hands, running her fingers over his whisker-marks. Naruto shivered; those marks were, like whiskers, extremely sensitive. Hinata smiled a bit wider, then she said, "I will always love you, Naruto. The fox in your gut has been there since I first met you, I just didn't know it for a while. As for your parents...you gave me a chance and have only ever judged me for me, not my parents, so I would never judge you for who your parents were. You're my Naruto, you were when we got here, you are now, and you will always be." Hinata blushed deeply as she thought about how her words could be taken, then added, "And as long as you want me, I'll be yours."

Naruto ran his fingers through Hinata's hair briefly, then told her, "I would never not want you, Hinata." The young couple smiled at one another a moment, then shared a brief, chaste kiss. Naruto looked to the sky; it was late. "You better get to bed." Hinata smiled and kissed him again, then rose and made her way to her tent. Naruto smiled and remained where he was; he had first watch tonight. As he lay on his back and looked up at the moon, the blond jinchuriki thought, _"I'm glad things didn't change with her and me. I hope Kiba accepts it that easily, too...I'm sure he will."_ He smiled at that thought; yes, he was confident his friends would always accept him.

xxxxxx

Sasuke sighed as he and his team finished what felt like the thirtieth D-rank they'd done that day. He didn't want to admit it, but, over the last weeks, he had slowly become friends with his two teammates. Shino was still a bit of an enigma, but Hotaru had proven himself to be a very adept ninja despite his civilian heritage, and Sasuke now thought of the boy as his best friend, despite his efforts at first to be unsociable and prevent himself from gaining any bonds like this. Sasuke had even met the boy's brother, Tobio, on one occasion, and he had gotten along well with both of the twins. Tobio was the more serious of the two, while Hotaru was far more playful, but, to Sasuke's surprise, both were extremely adept ninja for their age and lack of clan. On the one occasion when Sasuke had accompanied Hotaru home, the twins and their parents had all done everything they could to make Sasuke feel welcome, and, no matter how much he tried to hide it, that evening had meant the world to the lonely boy.

As Sasuke was thinking about these things, Hotaru approached him with his typical smile. "Hey, Sasuke, would you like to come to my place again tonight? Mom said she's making tomato onigiri and to invite you," he said. Sasuke felt his mouth water at the mention of _tomato_ onigiri. There was no way in hell he was going to pass _that_ up.

"I think I'd like that, Hotaru," he said back, causing his teammate's grin to widen.

"Good, good," the boy said back, his green eyes flashing with merriment. "I'm glad you'll be there, Sasuke. I asked Shino, too, but you know how he is. Clan affairs and all that." Sasuke nodded. He might miss his family, but the clan meetings and such he certainly did _not_ miss! "Anyway, we better get back to work before Shino berates us for wasting time with illogical chatter or some such thing." Hotaru had mimicked Shino's monotone perfectly as he spoke of them wasting time, which caused Sasuke to smile slightly.

"Yeah, you're probably right," the Uchiha responded after a moment. "See you in a bit then?" Hotaru nodded, and the two parted. _"I really am lucky I got them as a team,"_ Sasuke thought to himself as he turned back to his work.

xxxxxx

"This is such a drag," Shikamaru commented as he pulled weeds. Ino snarled at him; she was so tired of hearing him moan and groan about their work! Then she realized she'd been complaining for a while before their mission about missing Kiba, so she couldn't really say much; as such, she just kept her mouth shut about Shikamaru's complaining. Instead, she sought to draw him and Choji into conversation to pass the time better.

"I wonder what Naruto and his team are doing out there," she said, seemingly idly.

Choji chuckled. "Naruto's probably sitting at their campfire, staring at the sky and keeping watch," he said. "Hinata's probably asleep by now, and I bet Kiba's rolling around missing you, Ino. As for Kakashi...who knows, I'd guess he's probably asleep by now, since I guarantee he didn't take first watch." Ino smiled at her teammates. It was evening now, so Choji was probably right. Naruto would take first watch, she knew, Kiba second probably, Kakashi third, and Hinata last if she knew that team, which she did. Choji continued, "They'll probably be back tomorrow or the day after, if nothing goes wrong, isn't that what Naruto told us?" Ino nodded; Naruto in fact _hadn't_ told them that, but she was too distracted thinking of Kiba to really hear what Choji had said.

Shikamaru and Choji shook their heads. "Girls in love are such a drag," Shikamaru commented wryly. Choji nodded; maybe not all girls were like that, but Ino sure was.

xxxxxx

Danzo sighed slowly as he sat down. All this ninja stuff was getting harder by the day it seemed. Snapping once, a masked shinobi appeared in the small bare room where Danzo now sat. Danzo held out a scroll to the shinobi, who took it then vanished again without a word. Danzo smiled. _"A perfect shinobi,"_ he thought. Then he remembered his old rival's words from earlier that day. _"Is Hiruzen right? Is peace the right way to go? Would our village prosper and benefit more from peace than from war?"_ He remembered the things he had seen happen during times of war, the shinobi lost, the families destroyed, the _weakening_ of the village. _"Perhaps he is right."_ Then he remembered what he had asked of his old rival. They had a spar coming. _"If Hiruzen is right, then he will not have been made weak by these times of peace, and I will lose our spar. If he's wrong, I'll beat him. It's that simple, really, isn't it?"_ The old war-hawk smiled slightly and nodded. _"Yes, it all rides on our spar."_

Danzo considered his bandaged arm and eye in his mind for a moment. _"I hope I don't have to reveal to Hiruzen that I have these,"_ he thought. _"He'd never understand. Still, if he is powerful enough that I must use them to beat him, I will. And if he is so strong that I can't beat him even with them...then I guess I have been wrong about my old rival all these years."_ At that moment, Danzo remembered hearing Hiruzen threaten the old bridge-builder's life. _"At least now I know not to underestimate him...there is still fire in my old rival's veins. I must be prepared."_ With that thought, Danzo rose from his spot on the floor and made his way to his personal training grounds, where he would spend half an hour before going to bed, just to make sure his skills were up to par.

xxxxxx

As Hiruzen made his way into his home, he got a sudden chill. _"I feel I have a hard fight ahead of me,"_ he thought. He sighed as he got the distinct feeling that this had something to do with Danzo. _"I had better make sure I'm ready for our spar. It wouldn't do to disappoint my old rival."_ That thought in mind, Hiruzen also spent some time practicing before making his way to his bed that night. The "spar" between Danzo and Hiruzen promised to be a fight that would be remembered for generations to come.

A/N: I know you guys are going to hate me for the teaser I gave you during Konohamaru's scene. Bear with me, I know I didn't explain that yet, but I promise, I will explain exactly how Konohamaru knows about Naruto's parents and the fox. I will explain it, just not yet, so please, be patient with me.


	8. The Beginning of Redemption

Chapter 8

Sasuke sighed. Ever since he'd admitted to himself not long ago that Hotaru had become his best friend, he had found himself thinking less and less of revenge and more and more of protecting his friends and his home. Today, he and Hotaru were sparring while Kurenai-sensei was training Shino in some kind of genjutsu, he presumed. He hadn't bothered to ask precisely what they were doing; after all, if it was something truly useful, he suspected his teammate would let him copy it once he activated his Sharingan.

Sasuke, distracted by his thoughts, wasn't prepared to dodge the sweeping kick Hotaru launched at him and ended up flat on his rear end. Looking up in surprise, the Uchiha chuckled slightly, then launched himself back to his feet. Coming at his teammate with renewed vigor, Sasuke managed to land a few blows to the boy, who gave as good as he got. After twenty minutes of continuous sparring, the two fell onto their backs next to one another, both breathing hard.

Catching his breath, Hotaru rolled onto his side and looked at Sasuke. "I've been wondering something, Sasuke," he began. Sasuke turned his head slightly and raised an eyebrow at the boy. "I remember when we were first put on this team. You as much as ignored Shino and me. And back in the Academy, you were a major jerk to Naruto and Hinata, yet now...you're different. You're my friend now. What happened?"

Sasuke sighed. "You've become my best friend, Hotaru. I suppose I should tell you...everything. Back in the Academy, I thought I was the best at everything and that I deserved the best. Hinata was clearly the best of the girls in our class, that's why I went after her like I did." Stopping, the raven-haired boy shook his head, eyes closed briefly. "I was such an idiot. I wasn't even the best in my family. I wasn't good enough to save them." Stopping again, Sasuke blinked a few times and took a deep breath, then continued, "My brother, Itachi...he killed my entire clan. I'm sure you remember when they all died, but not many knew it was Itachi that did it. He could have killed me, but he told me to hate him, to come after him and kill him some day. He said the only way I might be able to kill him is if I managed to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan like he did...and that to get it I'd have to kill my best friend." Sasuke locked his eyes with Hotaru's as he said this. "I swore that day that I would never have a best friend. I wouldn't endanger anyone by forming a bond like that. It wasn't worth it. I swore I'd find my own way to kill Itachi. I would become an avenger and restore my clan to its former glory...and I'd do it without following Itachi's steps to power." Sighing, Sasuke finished, "But then you...and Tobio didn't give me that option. You made me be your friend, whether I liked it or not. And now...I don't want to have to kill you, Hotaru. I fear that I may be turning away from my path...but I can't kill you for power...I just can't." Here, Sasuke rolled onto his side so that Hotaru was behind him. He blinked several times, trying not to let his tears fall. _"There, I said it. I don't want to kill him...he's my best friend. I can't do it...not even to kill Itachi."_

Hotaru sat up and rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke turned around and, seeing Hotaru sitting up, sat up himself and looked at his friend. Hotaru gave Sasuke one of the small smiles that the Uchiha recognized as his sincere ones. When the boy spoke, his voice was far more serious than Sasuke could ever remember it being. "I don't know much about revenge, Sasuke," he said, "but I do know you. You're a good guy, and I trust you. You wouldn't do that to me." Sasuke shook his head, looking down at his lap as he did. He couldn't meet Hotaru's eyes for some reason. Hotaru chuckled. "Sasuke, think about what you said. You vowed to yourself that you wouldn't make friends so as to not endanger those around you. You vowed to even protect them from yourself. You would sacrifice your own happiness to protect your comrades. That may be the strongest Will of Fire I've ever heard of."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Will of Fire?" he asked.

Hotaru nodded. Sasuke looked even more confused. Hotaru chuckled. "Okay, you know how all of the ninja of our village are put into teams from the time we're just Genin?" he asked. Sasuke nodded, his eyes still clearly showing confusion. "I asked the Hokage about that one day. I was working out on one of the outlying training grounds when he happened upon me. I guess he was out on one of his typical walks around the village. I asked him why everyone is put on these three-man teams. It had been bugging me a while, and I figured if anyone knew, he would. I'll never forget what he told me that day.

"He told me that the people of our village each have within us a Will of Fire. He said that the Will of Fire is the fervent desire to protect our village and those precious to us within it. He told me that we're put on teams like we are to foster this Will of Fire by giving it specific targets, namely our teammates. I've never forgotten that...and now...I realize what he said is true. Sasuke, you would even protect us from _yourself_ if you had to...and that, I think, is a perfect example of what the Hokage meant when he told me about the Will of Fire." Hotaru gave his friend a small smile as he finished.

Sasuke thought about his friend's words for a moment. "You may be right, Hotaru...you may be right," he said slowly.

Hotaru came over and rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I know I'm right, Sasuke," he said with a genuine smile. "You just told me so yourself."

Sasuke slowly returned his friend's smile. "Thank you, Hotaru. Your words have reminded me of what is truly important in my life. It is our friends and trusted comrades that make living our lives worthwhile. Without people to care about, this life would be empty and meaningless. I have lost my trusted comrades once before, I saw them die in front of my very eyes...and I will never let that happen again, if it is in my power to prevent it," he said with obvious emotion in his voice.

As the two friends were speaking, they heard a laugh from nearby. Looking up, the two saw Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba walking down the main street of the village toward the Hokage tower with Kakashi close on their heels. Hotaru smiled softly at how close the team obviously was, both physically and spiritually; it was clear in the way they walked and talked with one another that their team was as close to a family as any people not related by blood could be. "Naruto...Hinata," Sasuke said quietly. The dark-haired boy rested a hand on his friend's shoulder a minute. Hotaru turned and looked at Sasuke. The Uchiha looked toward Team Seven, his eyes questioning. Hotaru understood what Sasuke was asking and nodded. Sasuke smiled softly again and made his way toward the team, Hotaru close behind him. Neither of them spared a thought for Shino or Kurenai; they had bigger fish to fry just then.

xxxxxx

Kakashi smiled down at his team as they made their way toward the Hokage Tower. The pseudo-family had spent the last few hours making their way back to the village and were now on their way to make their report to the Hokage about their excursion. Naruto and Hinata had only grown closer since he had told them the truth about Naruto's past, and Kiba was even more protective of both of them than he had been before; Kakashi suspected Kiba looked at the two as younger siblings now and would protect them as such. Kakashi was proud of his students; he only hoped his father would be as proud of him as he was of his kids. _"When did they become _my_ kids?"_ he asked himself. Chuckling quietly, he shook his head at himself; he'd gotten sentimental of late, it seemed. Nonetheless, he realized that he did think of these three as his kids, and he knew even then he would protect them as if he were their father.

As Kakashi and his team continued on their way, they heard two sets of footsteps approaching them. Stopping and turning, the small entourage saw Sasuke Uchiha and Hotaru Kaneko coming toward them. Naruto would have sworn Sasuke's face showed a hint of apprehension, but he figured he had to be imagining _that._ Hotaru was offering the group a small smile, trying to put them at ease; he only succeeded in making them all the more anxious as they all wondered why he was approaching them in Sasuke's company.

When the two got to within earshot, they both stopped. Hotaru continued to smile as he rested a hand on Sasuke's shoulder a moment. Sasuke looked at the other boy, then turned back to Team Seven, taking a deep breath as he did. Before the Uchiha could speak, Kiba growled and Naruto spoke up. "W-What d-do _you_ w-want, Sasuke?" he asked, disgust obvious in his voice as he said the name.

Sasuke flinched slightly, then sighed deeply. "Naruto, Hinata," he began, "I have heretofore acted toward you in a manner which has brought dishonor to the name of Uchiha." Naruto stiffened in surprise; was Sasuke actually admitting he'd done something wrong?! Kiba and Hinata raised an eyebrow in suspicion and curiosity respectively. Surprising all four members of Team Seven, Sasuke bowed formally at his waist to Naruto and Hinata. "I deeply apologize for my dishonorable treatment of you, and I beseech your forgiveness."

Naruto turned to Hinata and Kiba in turn, then turned around to look at Kakashi. When Kakashi and Naruto's eyes met, the team, by silent consent, huddled up. Kiba spoke first. "Something isn't right," he said. "Sasuke apologizing...bowing to you? Something just doesn't smell right about this."

Naruto sighed. "You're right, Kiba, something doesn't smell right here...but I'm not going to call the guy a liar. I've never known him to lie. He's a jerk, yes, but I've never known him to lie. Plus, he is acting rather formal, so I suspect he's acting more as an Uchiha than as...well, himself," he said.

Hinata nodded. "Yes, that's true. The formal bowing and all that...especially since he hasn't left that position, seems to indicate he's acting as head of his clan, not as himself," she said. At her words, everyone looked to see that, indeed, Sasuke was still bowed at his waist to them. What none of them saw was the anxious look the boy was directing at his feet. Hinata continued, "Even if none of us really trust him or believe he's sincere, it is customary for us to accept his apology...if nothing else, it will reflect well on us for being merciful toward him."

Kakashi eye-smiled at his team. "Your words are wise, Hinata," he said. "We must all be on our guards with the Uchiha, but it would be rude to reject his apology, especially when it has been delivered in such a sincere manner. That said, however, you should make it clear to him that he is not trusted by us and that he should tread carefully. Do not be overly rude about it, but do be honest; it's only fair that we be honest with him when he has been so with us."

That said, the team turned as one to face the two boys who still awaited their response. Naruto spoke first. "You have caught us off-guard, Sasuke," he said. "When we saw _you_ approaching, an apology was the last thing any of us expected. That said, however, we accept your apology. It is only fair that we do so when you have gone to such effort to deliver it."

Sasuke rose and gave the team a small smile. Hinata spoke up next before he could say anything more. "Even though we accept your apology," she began, her voice quiet but stern, "this does not mean that we trust you or that you are our friend. You have done us much harm in the past, and earning our trust is going to take some time. However, if, as your current actions seem to indicate, you are indeed earnest in this and wish to change your manner of acting toward us, it is only fair that we give you the chance to earn our trust and, maybe, some day, our friendship as well."

Sasuke nodded his acknowledgment of Hinata's words, then bowed to them again. "I thank you, Naruto, Hinata. I will do my best to prove myself worthy of this chance you have given me. I give you my word as an Uchiha, I will not let you down," he said, then rose, gave Team Seven a small smile, and left, Hotaru following him.

"Well...that was bizarre," Kiba commented as Team Seven resumed their trek toward the Hokage Tower. The rest of the team silently agreed; that was, indeed, bizarre.

xxxxxx

As Sasuke was making his peace with Team Seven, Team Nine was in hell. Tobio had noticed Anko's curse mark and had made the mistake of asking her who gave her a hickey, and the entire team was now running for their lives as a giant snake pursued them around the training field they had been using. Sakura turned and glared at Tobio over her shoulder. "Don't you know better than to ask a woman about something like that?!" she roared.

Tobio grinned. "Of course I do," he said back cheekily. "I was just bored and wanted to see how she'd react. Besides, we're getting the best workout we've had in a while now, so don't complain!"

Sakura let out a loud roar and swung at her obnoxious teammate, who dodged the attack and gave her a "come get me" grin before taking off ahead of her. Sakura, snarling, tore off after him, murder in her eyes.

Sakumo rolled his eyes at his teammates' antics. "I don't know why Anko-sensei puts up with those two," he commented to himself.

A voice sounded from behind him. "I put up with them because, nonsense aside, Tobio is one of the most talented rookies I've ever seen, and Sakura has the most potential of any I've seen in a long time," it said.

Sakumo turned in surprise. "Oh! Anko-sensei!" he said. "I didn't know you were so close..." he trailed off as a very scary realization slowly dawned on him: if she was this close, so were her snakes! Anko gave the boy a sadistic grin and held out an arm. As a snake slithered out of it, Sakumo turned and ran after his teammates, hoping desperately that he was faster than those slithery reptiles. "I HATE SNAKES!" he yelled out. From ahead of him, Tobio was heard laughing at his outburst, and Sakura was heard bellowing as she continued to chase after Tobio with all the grace of a rampaging rhino.

Anko just chuckled at her students' antics. "And to think, our village's military might will someday depend on them," she muttered ruefully, shaking her head.

xxxxxx

Sasuke and Hotaru returned to the training ground they had recently vacated. "Well," Sasuke began when they arrived to find Shino and Kurenai still absent, "that went way better than I'd expected. I was fully expecting at least Kiba to attack me...and I really hadn't thought any of them would accept my apology."

Hotaru smiled. "You'll find that when you're sincere about things like that, people tend to respond well. Plus, you did take the chance of approaching them, and it's not like any of them are mean; I'm really not surprised that went so well."

Sasuke turned a playful smirk on his friend. "But of course it went well," he said. "I _am_ an Uchiha! No one would dare to turn me away!"

Hotaru grinned. "Oh, so you're sure of yourself now, are you? Well, Mr. Uchiha, let's see how great you really are!" he said tauntingly.

Sasuke launched himself at Hotaru, who deflected the boy's punch easily. Hotaru responded with a low sweeping kick, which Sasuke blocked, surprising Hotaru. He'd been planning to kick up at Sasuke when he jumped and was unprepared to be blocked. Sasuke grinned down at his friend before planting a blow on his cheek, which sent Hotaru rolling across the grass.

Getting up, Hotaru wiped some dirt from his face and grinned at his friend. Running at the Uchiha, Hotaru went on the attack this time. Hotaru's first punch, aimed at Sasuke's face, was deflected easily. Hotaru had expected this, of course; he had been sparring with Sasuke for some time now and knew the Uchiha was quite skilled. After the first attack was deflected, Hotaru used the momentum of it and spun around and swung for Sasuke's gut. Sasuke, having not expected this, took the full brunt of the attack. Sasuke fell to the ground, grabbing his gut and gasping for breath.

Hotaru grinned at his friend, who returned a slight smirk. Reaching down, Hotaru helped Sasuke to his feet. Sasuke chuckled. "I guess it's true what they say," he said. "True friendship between ninja comes from the exchange of blows." The two friends shared a laugh at that. "But seriously, Hotaru, thank you," Sasuke said after a minute.

Hotaru raised an eyebrow at his friend. "What are you thanking me for, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up at the blue sky a moment, choosing his words carefully. "You were there for me even when I didn't want you to be," he began after a minute. "I became your friend in spite of myself...and ever since, everything has just been so much better. So, thank you...for everything."

Hotaru smiled and threw an arm around Sasuke's shoulders. "It's been my pleasure, Sasuke," he said simply. Sasuke smiled as well, and both simply looked up at the sky. The clear blue sky seemed to be smiling back at them, and Sasuke felt something he hadn't felt in the years since Itachi had killed his clan: peace.


End file.
